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Cummins BALANCE OF POWER

Issue 39 2021

World Mining

the editor

Mining in a net zero world

Editor

The

Martin Ashcroft

mong the memorable lines attributed to the muchloved English comedian Tommy Cooper (RIP) is the immortal phrase “I used to be indecisive but now I am not quite sure.” I feel a bit like that about climate change. I used to be a sceptic, but I’m not so sure now, either. Much of the world’s production of gold, iron ore, copper and zinc takes place in areas where water supply is already an issue. If climate change triggers more frequent droughts, storms and floods, this could be extremely disruptive. Another trend that can only accelerate in the near future is the shift in demand for minerals. The move towards renewable energy has created new markets for cobalt, lithium, and nickel. But it’s no longer simply a question of how specific trends or climate events might affect your mining assets or the communities which host them, although these remain a risk that mining companies need to prepare for. Governments are now setting net zero targets for their countries and the corresponding legislation on energy use and carbon emissions will affect miners everywhere. Investors, too, are analysing company strategy and performance before putting their money into businesses that show leadership in climate change awareness and response. Leaders in this field include BHP (see page xx), which intends to use solar energy to reduce emissions from electricity use by up to 50 per cent at the Nickel West Kwinana

Refinery in Australia. Renewable power supply agreements are also in place in BHP’s Queensland Coal operations, and Escondida and Spence copper mines in Chile. Our cover story on Cummins this month (see page 6) shows how the engine manufacturer has responded to miners’ needs by balancing performance with sustainability criteria. A typical Cummins engine used in a mining application today emits 90% fewer harmful gases compared to engines produced 20 years ago. In most cases, these engines are also more powerful and more fuel efficient than their predecessors. Some companies, on the other hand, are choosing electric vehicles to reduce emissions. Newmont, the world’s No 1 gold miner, operates the Borden mine, the world’s first all-electric mine, in Ontario, Canada. The boardrooms of mining companies all over the world must now plan to do business in a net zero world. All mines are different, all mining companies are different, so there is no universal answer, but successful companies will likely be those that look to engage with governments and investors on the issues, as well as addressing their own operational improvements. Climate change data may be imperfect, and will improve with time, but no-one can afford to wait for that to happen. If you haven’t started planning already, you must start now. World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

Contents

Cover story cummins: Balance of power Page 8

Page: 5 • The Editor: Mining in a net zero world 8 • Cummins: Balance of power 24 • Newmont Corporation: First among equals 34 • BHP: Performance & development 48 • Barrick Gold: Delivery and development 64 • Bonfiglioli: Engineering dreams 68 • Open Autonomy: Why mining is on the brink of an autonomous revolution 73 • ABB to deliver trolley assist solution to Copper Mountain Mining in Canada 75 • Lithium South completes bulk brine sample • Nickel Rock begins drilling its lithium clay 79 • Inomin acquires La Gitana and Pena Blanca 81 • Rokmaster prepares surface drill program at Revel Ridge • i-80 Gold commences large-scale drill program at Getchell 85 • First Cobalt granted US Dept of Energy funding for Idaho Cobalt Project 87 • GS Mining completes purchase of Black Eagle Mill in Colorado • First Energy Metals starts drilling at Augustus Lithium Project in Quebec 89 • Fortescue celebrates 1.5 billion tonnes of iron ore shipped from Pilbara • Epiroc to acquire electrification provider 91 • Weir Minerals expands partnership with

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ADVERTISERS Page 2 MAXAM Tire 4 One Eye Industries 25 ULTRATECH 31 Major Drilling 37 Midroc Remote Mining 39 Graham 49 In-Situ 67 Austin Engineering 69 Truflo Pumps 70 Vigil Anti-Slip 71 Goodyear off-the-road 72 Tamrotor (Ingersoll Rand) 74 Canary Systems 76 Applied Fiber 77 THEJO 78 drytech 80 Vulkan Drive Tech 82 RST Instruments 83 Measurand 84 Hamilton Equipment Company 85 Aegion / NFP 86 MoistTech Corp 88 VEI Group 90 Yale Cordage 92 Marland Clutch 94 GDD 96 Pumps 2000 97 World Mining Directory 99 Resemin Asia 100 Weir Group

news:Page 73

• 93 • • 95 • •

Hayward Gordon in Latin America Monarch intersects high-grade gold on Beaufor property Loulo-Gounkoto’s third underground mine to start production Epiroc wins large mining equipment order Drilling at McIlvenna Bay produces stellar results for Foran Mining Sandvik to acquire screens and feeders manufacturer Kwatani

newmont corp: first among equals Page 24

World Mining Magazine Contacts, Advertising Rates & Information News & Features Editor

Martin Ashcroft martin@ogsmag.com martin@worldminingmagazine.com

Editor

Vanessa Ward editor@ogsmag.com vanessa@worldminingmagazine.com

Sales

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Design and Artwork

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Managing Director Simon Ward

Advertising Rates

Double Page £6000.00 Full Page £4895.00 Half Page £2450.00 Quarter Page £1450.00 Full Page (inside cover) £6000.00 Lead Article + Front Cover £19,995.00 All advertisement rates include design free of charge. The magazine is printed in A4 format on 250gsm gloss laminated cover and 170gsm matt internal pages. The magazine is both a printed hard copy magazine and distributed electronically. Currently our global readership is approximately 93,000.

World Mining Magazine 2021 World Mining Magazine is published by Worldwide Business Media Limited, London, EC1V 2NX United Kingdom. Registered No. 6809417 England/ Wales. VAT No. 972 7492 76. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or any part without written permission is strictly prohibited. Liability: while every care has been taken in the preperation of this magazine, the publishers cannot be held responsible for the accuracy of the information herein, or any consequence arising from it. All paper used in this production comes from well managed sources.

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Cummins BALANCE OF POWER T

hrough technical innovation and world class customer service, the leading engine manufacturer, Cummins, is powering miners to balance their need for lowest cost of production with improved sustainability. As the mining industry changes to accommodate new technology and social and environmental pressures, miners are adapting to prosper in a new business climate. Suppliers must change, too, to fulfil their customers’ evolving needs. In 2019 and 2020, Cummins celebrated 100 years of manufacturing engines and generators, respectively. Longevity is its middle name, and one of the features that defines the brand. Asked to describe a Cummins engine, people tend to say things like ‘it’s a beast’, ‘it never stops’, and ‘it’ll run forever’.

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“Asked to describe a Cummins engine, people tend to say things like ‘it’s a beast’, ‘it never stops’”

However, in an industry which has historically tended to reward the biggest, the fastest, or the most powerful, customers are starting to want a more sophisticated mix of power solutions, giving Cummins the opportunity to demonstrate its leadership in more ways than one. How does a brand with a reputation for power and endurance demonstrate innovation and sustainability? It’s all here.

www.cummins.com

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“Miners demand the best equipment and engines, and today, that means engines that maximize productivity and availability, minimize operating costs, and help achieve increasingly important sustainability targets”

World class support When a mine site operates 24 hours a day, every day, equipment availability is paramount. It could cost anywhere between $1,000-$10,000, an hour, to have a haul truck or an excavator out of action, and therefore, proper maintenance practices and prompt service support are crucial for ensuring high equipment availability. One of the challenges that miners face is how to optimize their equipment in the face of changing needs and advances in technology. One way of

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doing this is through an engine rebuild, to take advantage of improvements in emissions performance and fuel consumption. Cummins has 12 Master Rebuild Centers strategically located in areas with high mining activity. “Once an engine has reached overhaul, the industry practice is to complete an engine rebuild,” says Lanre Ige, Director, Mining Strategic Accounts. “A mine truck, with proper maintenance, could see three to four engine rebuilds before the whole chassis needs to be rebuilt. During the rebuild process, Cummins will upgrade individual components of

the engine to the latest technology and even offer zero hour rebuilds, which allows the engine to perform and last as well as a factory-built engine. “Another thing that sets us apart is our relationship with the end users,” says Ige. “We have service capabilities all over the world, giving our customers access to distributor locations and certified technicians at their mine site, no matter how remote they are.” World class customer service encourages existing customers to develop long term relationships and attracts new ones with the potential to do the same. With over 90 years of experience in the mining industry, Cummins has the product and service expertise to help miners maximize equipment availability and enhance profitability.

Cummins balance of power

www.cummins.com

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“A mine truck, with proper maintenance, could see three to four engine rebuilds before the whole chassis needs to be rebuilt”

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Cummins

Innovation in technology In a world that never stops, you need equipment that never stops, and then some. Miners demand the best equipment and engines, and today, that means engines that maximize productivity and availability, minimize operating costs, and help achieve increasingly important sustainability targets. “We went through a period when miners all wanted to maximize production,” says Robert Schaefer, Director, Mining Innovations and Growth Initiatives, “so they increased horsepower, they increased capacity, they added trucks and mines got deeper. After the financial crisis there was a phase where they were all desperate to cut costs. We supported them through all of that, finding ways to improve fuel economy and extend engine life.” Now, miners are focused on achieving the lowest cost of production while satisfying investors, insurers, governments, and other stakeholders of their commitment to social and environmental issues. Suppliers must respond to these changing requirements. “We feel strongly that we have all the tools to help them with that,” says Schaefer, “not only from a performance standpoint, from the power inside their equipment, but also from how well they can maintain their operations and how they approach the sustainability aspects.” It can cost over a million

balance of power

dollars a year to operate a mine haul truck, so even small improvements in efficiency can add up to a considerable sum. With roughly a third of the cost of operating mining equipment being spent on fuel, improvements in fuel efficiency bring the double benefit of reducing the emission of greenhouse gases and significant cost savings. The engine of a regular mine truck might carry 100s of gallons of consumables. It also has filters that are changed every 500 to 1,000 hours (about once a month). “Potential savings add up quickly when you consider the frequency of changes,” says Schaefer. “We conducted a 12-month filter optimization program at Anglo American’s Dawson Coal Mine in Queensland, Australia,” he continued, “where a Komatsu 830E haul truck, powered by a Cummins QSK60 engine, was fitted with Fleetguard filters. They saved 60 percent of their filter and oil consumption. That

“It can cost over a million dollars a year to operate a mine haul truck, so even small improvements in efficiency can add up to a considerable sum” would have added up to over $220,000 a year for their whole fleet of 14 trucks.” Add to that the savings in labor costs from fewer hours of service time, and the total annual savings for the 14-truck fleet would exceed $250,000. Service intervals of 2000 hours were subsequently established by installing the new Fleetguard NanoForce® air filters with nano-fiber technology.

www.cummins.com

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Another mine in Colombia extended its change intervals on fuel filters to 1,000 hours and air filters to 2,000 hours by using NanoNet™ fuel filters and NanoForce air filters. Other mine sites around the world have since followed suit. As resources become harder to find, miners often find themselves operating in remote locations where exceptional conditions, such as high altitude and extreme temperatures, can affect the performance of mining equipment. While poor air quality and severe weather conditions can compromise engine power and fuel efficiency, Cummins engines adapt automatically in extreme conditions, allowing them to provide the optimum power solutions. This is done by the electronic control module (ECM) on engines continually

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sensing pressures and temperatures within the engine and adjusting fueling to compensate for changes like high altitude. There is standard derate protocol within the system as it goes up in altitude due to things like air density changes. This helps protect the engine by working as efficiently as possible within its surroundings. At an altitude of 5,500 meters, higher than the base camp at Mount Everest, China’s Julong Mine is the largest copper mine in the country, and home to over 65 Cummins engines, varying in size from 19L to 60L, supporting applications such as excavators, dump trucks, generators,

blasthole drills and bulldozers. The 240T ultra-class haul trucks powered by Cummins QSK60 engines enjoy continuous uptime in this severe environment, making it the natural choice at Julong. Cummins engines have demonstrated similarly high performance and dependability at highaltitude mines around the world. Reducing the cost of energy while protecting the environment is a critical combination for the mining industry. Cummins understands this and has developed EPA Tier 4 and Euro Stage V compliant engines that deliver the lowest cost of production, while minimizing the impact on the environment. The latest Cummins Tier 4 high horsepower

engines (over 751 horsepower) offer between three and five percent better fuel economy than Tier 2 engines, with no compromise to power and reliability. This fuel efficiency gain has been achieved through a combination of in-cylinder improvements and the use of Cummins Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) aftertreatment technology, which is used by over 400,000 engines around the world. SCR technology has proven to be a better choice for high-horsepower engines because it optimizes engine performance. This enables excellent fuel economy for

Cummins balance of power

“The latest Cummins Tier 4 high horsepower engines (over 751 horsepower) offer between three and five percent better fuel economy than Tier 2 engines, with no compromise to power and reliability” the lowest cost per hour of operation, while delivering superior reliability and uptime. Designed and manufactured by Cummins Emission Solutions (CES), the SCR clean exhaust system features an integrated decomposition chamber and a Cummins airless diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) dosing system designed to last the life of the engine. By focusing NOx reduction within the exhaust rather than during in-cylinder combustion,

the system avoids the need for major changes to the external engine platform. Using SCR also leaves a much higher performance threshold in-cylinder to focus on particulate matter reduction and improve fuel-efficiency. Optimized temperature management also minimizes DEF consumption. The SCR logic control is driven by the QSK electronic engine management system, upgraded with extra processing power for Tier 4 Final, so that the engine and SCR aftertreatment operate as a single, integrated system.

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Engine development Miners benefit from working with partners that not only offer extensive aftermarket capabilities, but also engines that are designed for life in the harsh mining environment. The QST30 is a good example of engine development. Built to handle the toughest environments, this model has sold over 30,000 engines around the world over the last 27 years to operate in haul trucks, blasthole drills and wheel loaders. Life expectancy depends on emissions regulations and the workload involved, but in many applications the engine will run for 18,000 to 20,000 hours in mining applications and reach 500,000 gallons of fuel burned before overhaul. Over the years, improvements have been made in the engine’s turbochargers, fuel handling and power cylinder design, reducing emissions while maintaining the structural integrity, reliability and durability that have won the QST30 its reputation for low cost-of-operation and exceptional life-cycle value. A mine site in Arizona was concerned last year that the engines powering their Komatsu 930E-1 haul trucks were not giving them the performance they expected, and the engine manufacturer was not providing the required customer support. The mine had seven Komatsu 930E-1 haul trucks going through a rebuild due to performance issues to satisfy the mine’s need for higher engine up-time and improved fuel efficiency. Cummins Sales and Service team from the local distributor provided a large inventory of on-site parts as well as a dedicated on-site technician, supported by three field technicians in the local area, with immediate improvements. The mine’s operation manager then decided to repower two of the trucks with Cummins Tier 2 QSK60 engines to help lower fuel usage and improve equipment life. The QSK60 engine is installed in most 240T and 320T haul trucks available today and provides higher total truck availability hours and one to two percent more fuel efficiency than any other engine in its class. Since the switch, the mine site reported an improvement in mean time to failure of 43%, a decrease in mean time to repair of 69% and a 3-4% improvement in availability. The mine site naturally decided to convert the remaining five trucks to Cummins QSK60 engines and to have all its mining products powered and serviced by Cummins by 2021.

QST30

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Cummins balance of power

“The QST30 is a good example of engine development. Built to handle the toughest environments, this model has sold over 30,000 engines around the world over the last 27 years to operate in haul trucks, blasthole drills and wheel loaders”

www.cummins.com

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PrevenTech Mining PrevenTech® Mining, an integrated digital solution for end-to-end equipment health management, is the flagship of Cummins customer service portfolio, harnessing connectivity, big data, advanced analytics, and internetof-things (IoT) to securely deliver remote engine monitoring and reporting of potential performance issues. “PrevenTech extends engine life and reduces downtime,” says Dana Miller, Director, Digital and Service Solutions, “through alerts and assisted monitoring. By detecting potential equipment health issues before they become costly, miners can mitigate performance impacts and improve productivity.” Designed to connect Cummins monitoring, support, and service functions, PrevenTech issues alerts and recommendations by email, telephone, and a web-based customer dashboard. With a simple and intuitive interface, the dashboard provides a high-level overview of equipment location and status. Alert notifications describe performance issues along with recommendations for repair and suggested remaining time to act. “The

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“PrevenTech extends engine life and reduces downtime, through alerts and assisted monitoring. By detecting potential equipment health issues before they become costly, miners can mitigate performance impacts and improve productivity” equipment map shows the location of a customer’s connected equipment via GPS,” says Miller, “with a traffic light system to rank and prioritize alerts according to severity – green where all is well, yellow to indicate equipment that requires servicing within seven days, orange to warn that a service should be done within three days, and red for items requiring immediate attention.” Using this interface, miners can see individual data about each piece of equipment, the last occurrence of an issue and a historical archive of equipment alerts. Gaining visibility into the real-time status of mining equipment allows miners to plan downtime and repair work more intelligently, for example, by customizing maintenance intervals according to actual equipment usage at each site. A Chilean mine site improved its equipment availability and productivity,

performance, and reduced its Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) using PrevenTech. The Chilean mine operator wanted to trial turbocharging telematics to eliminate unexpected high-pressure turbocharger failures. Halfway through the pilot, PrevenTech alerted the maintenance team 190 days in advance, providing ample time to plan for proactive maintenance and avoid unscheduled downtown, and caught 100 percent of potential failures in advance. The mine site saved $1.3 million in operating cost. The Chilean mine looks to save more in the future by also monitoring injectors and bearings; this will provide the mine maintenance supervisors with a clear picture of when service will be needed, months in advance, and allow for proactive scheduling at the most advantageous time.

PrevenTech Mining offers three service options: Base, Plus and Premium. Features range from essential fault code alerts, custom rules, and thresholds, to advanced algorithms with FleetguardFIT™ prognostics, live monitoring from Cummins Care experts, and more. FleetguardFIT is a

Cummins balance of power

feature that helps extend maintenance intervals by monitoring consumables, including air filters, fuel filters, lube

FEATURE

filters and engine oil quality, applying prognostics to interpret the remaining useful oil and filter life.

BASE

PLUS

PREMIUM

Data Encryption Equipment Map & GPS Location Fault Alert Notification & Basic Reccommendations FleetguardFIT Diagnostics Alert Reccommendations Alert History Engine Data Log and Export Self-Monitoring Customer Alert Creation & Notification Graphing Cummins Care Expert 24/7 Service Fault Alert Notification with Personalized Reccommendations Cummins Proprietary Algorithm Cummins Proprietary Algorithm Alert Notification with Reccommendations FleetguardFIT Prognostics Alert Reccommendations Periodic Fleet Health Reports A graphing feature is available to Plus and Premium customers, providing charts representing engine parameter behaviour over time, where trends and correlations can be spotted. Custom rules can be created with the Plus and Premium options, too, allowing miners to develop performance alerts targeting specific parameters and behaviours, based on their own unique needs. Notifications can be managed to customize workflow by assigning specific users to receive immediate, periodic, and customer rule notifications. A recent enhancement is the addition of Wi-Fi as a connectivity option. “The lack of cellular coverage at some mine sites can cause delays in data transmission and lead to customers being unable to use the PrevenTech product,” explains Dana Miller. “Using the mine’s mesh network Wi-Fi will

enable ‘real-time’ data to be transmitted, utilizing PrevenTech to its full potential.” This option can also have the added benefit of saving the customer the cost of monthly cellular SIM card fees.

“A graphing feature is available to Plus and Premium customers, providing charts representing engine parameter behaviour over time, where trends and correlations can be spotted”

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Cummins balance of power

Sustainability Cummins thinks of sustainability as the lowest social cost of getting the job done, delivering results with the least environmental impact possible. On a mine site, sustainability has many aspects, including the emission of pollutants, disposal of consumables and preservation of water resources. It’s a question of efficiency. How can you maximise the output of a piece of equipment, while minimising the input?

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“Optimizing the maintenance intervals extends the life of the consumables...” Fuel consumption is an obvious target. It might take 1,000 gallons to fill the fuel tank of a large haul truck at a mine site, and each truck might need a refill every other day. Improvements in fuel consumption will reduce carbon emissions, as well as saving on the cost of fuel.

Emissions regulations have become increasingly stringent over recent years, and Cummins has been instrumental in helping miners comply. A typical Cummins engine used in a mining application today emits 90% fewer harmful gases compared to engines produced 20 years ago. In most cases, these engines are also more powerful and more fuel efficient than their predecessors. “A mining contractor in Australia’s Bowen Basin has reduced the carbon

“A typical Cummins engine used in a mining application today emits 90% fewer harmful gases compared to engines produced 20 years ago. In most cases, these engines are also more powerful and more fuel efficient than their predecessors”

dioxide emissions of six trucks by over 500 metric tons a year,” says Robert Schaefer, Director, Mining Innovations and Growth Initiatives, “by replacing the old fuel system with a modular common rail fuel system (MCRS) and installing the latest innovations in combustion technology from our Tier 4 engineering programs.” Greenhouse gases often dominate the headlines when people talk about sustainability, but for miners, consumables offer a great opportunity

to reduce environmental footprint. A mine haul truck might have over 50 gallons of engine oil and need a refill every month or so, not to mention the fuel, lube oil, air and water filters that also need changing. With hundreds of haul trucks working 24/7 in some of the larger mines, that’s a huge quantity of consumables. Customers taking advantage of Cummins’ advanced analytics and telematics technologies PrevenTech and FIT, can adopt a condition-

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based maintenance routine, in which consumables are changed only when needed. Optimizing the maintenance intervals extends the life of the consumables and reduces the waste to be disposed. “Whether it is air, water or noise, environmental considerations are increasingly becoming a top-of-mind topic for miners, and at Cummins we have bright and diverse minds bringing innovations to tackle these challenges daily,” said Schaefer. World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

Planet 2050 When sustainability first came to the attention of miners some years ago, it was seen as a cost; the price you had to pay to keep shareholders and local communities happy about your environmental impact. Nowadays, it’s integral to a miner’s social license to operate. The first official definition of sustainability was provided by the Brundtland Commission of the United Nations in 1987, formerly the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED). Its report, Our Common Future, contains the oft-quoted sentence, “Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” Mining companies around the world are now increasingly focused on sustainability. The annual reports of many mining companies contain whole chapters outlining their commitment to various projects aimed at reducing their environmental footprint. Some dedicate a separate publication to it. Cummins, too, strives to reduce its impact on the environment, launching its Planet 2050 strategy in November 2019 to address climate change and conserve natural resources. Chairman and CEO Tom Linebarger described the initiative as both an environmental and a business imperative. Companies that grow, while using fewer of the world’s resources, he believes, will be the most successful in the future. The company has eight goals aimed at 2030, and several aspirations for 2050, with the 2030 goals being divided between air emissions targets and the

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“Our vision for 2050 is a world where Cummins powers the world’s really important work with carbon neutral products and operations” use of natural resources at its facilities, including all consolidated operations and joint ventures that are part of the Cummins Enterprise Environmental Management System. The company’s strategy also includes addressing environmental needs in the communities where its employees live and work and where the company does business. The 2030 targets include reducing absolute greenhouse gas emissions from facilities and operations by 50 percent, reducing absolute lifetime GHG emissions from newly sold products by 25 percent, and reducing volatile organic compound emissions from paint and coating operations by 50 percent, as well as reducing absolute water consumption in facilities and operations by 30 percent. “Our vision for 2050 is a world where Cummins powers the world’s really important work with carbon neutral products and operations,” said Brian Mormino, Executive Director, Worldwide Environmental Strategy and Compliance. “Since our communities and business depend on a healthier planet, we will take strong action on climate change and work toward a future where we waste nothing and ensure that our communities are better because we are there.”

www.cummins.com

Cummins balance of power

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newmont corp first among equals

elebrating its centenary as a corporation, the world’s No 1 gold miner negotiated the obstacles of the global pandemic to deliver a remarkable performance in 2020 Newmont Corporation announced its full year and fourth quarter 2020 results in February this year. After a year of unprecedented challenges, including social distancing measures, government-imposed mine closures, travel restrictions, and all the rest, the company managed to meet its fullyear guidance, generate a record $4.9 billion of cash, and increase quarterly dividend to $0.55 per share. On the softer side of the measurement criteria, Newmont was recognized as the top-ranked gold miner for the sixth consecutive year in the DJSI Index, announced industry-leading climate targets for greenhouse gas emissions and achieved the best safety performance in the company’s history.

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LIMIT YOUR DOWNTIME, NOT YOUR PROFITS. In a mining operation, profits grow under tight tolerances. Every minute spent switching a paste line adds up fast, so we designed valves to make it quick, safe and simple. The welding needed to place and remove lines used to take days, so we created threaded couplings to dramatically reduce the man hours needed, and our case hardened pipe saves time and money over the long haul. So we are engineered for safety, and speed and durability, but when you add it up, we’re also engineered for profits.

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“In 2020, Newmont achieved record performance including $3.6 billion of free cash flow and ending the year with over $5.5 billion of consolidated cash. These results enable Newmont to lead the industry in shareholder returns, invest in organic growth and maintain financial flexibility,” said Tom Palmer, President and Chief Executive Officer. “While generating record value for shareholders, we also achieved record safety performance with the lowest injury rate in company history. As we complete our 100th year, we will remain focused on delivering superior operational performance whilst creating value and improving lives through sustainable, responsible mining.” During the year, Newmont completed the divestment of the Red Lake Complex in Canada, and the company’s 50 per cent ownership interest in Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines in Australia, along with its investment holdings in Continental Gold. From an operations point of view,

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“As we complete our 100th year, we will remain focused on delivering superior operational performance whilst creating value and improving lives through sustainable, responsible mining”

attributable gold production for the fourth quarter decreased 11 per cent to 1,630 thousand ounces from the prior year quarter, primarily due to the sale of Red Lake and Kalgoorlie, as well as lower production at Cerro Negro in Argentina while it managed Covid-19 restrictions. For the year, attributable gold production decreased 6 per cent to 5,905 thousand ounces from the prior year, primarily due to Yanacocha and Cerro Negro being placed into care and maintenance in response to the Covid pandemic, lower ore grade mined at Ahafo and the above-mentioned sales. These reductions in production were partially offset by a full year of operations from assets acquired in April 2019 with the Goldcorp merger.

Portfolio improvements Portfolio improvements achieved during the year included the completion of materials handling projects at

newmont corp first among equals

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“Portfolio improvements achieved during the year included the completion of materials handling projects at Musselwhite and Éléonore in Canada, the progression of the autonomous haulage system at Boddington and the Tanami Expansion 2 project in Australia”

Musselwhite and Éléonore in Canada, the progression of the autonomous haulage system at Boddington and the Tanami Expansion 2 project in Australia. Tanami Expansion 2 secures Tanami’s future as a long-life, low-cost producer with potential to extend mine life beyond 2040 through the addition of a 1,460 metre hoisting shaft and supporting infrastructure to achieve 3.5 million tonnes per year of production and provide a platform for future growth. The expansion is expected to increase average annual gold production by approximately 150,000 to 200,000 ounces per year for the first

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five years and is expected to reduce operating costs by approximately 10 per cent. Capital costs for the project are estimated to be between $850 million and $950 million with a commercial production date in the first half of 2024. 2020 also saw a mining method change at Subika Underground in Ghana, while advanced study work at Ahafo North (Ghana) and Yanacocha Sulfides (Peru) continued, with both projects expected to reach full funds approval in 2021. Ahafo North expands Newmont’s existing footprint in Ghana, with four open pit mines and a stand-alone mill located approximately 30 kilometres

from the company’s Ahafo South operations. The project is expected to add 300,000 ounces per year with all-in sustaining costs between $600 to $700 per ounce for the first five full years of production (2024-2028), with estimated capital costs of between $700 and $800 million. Ahafo North is the best unmined gold deposit in West Africa with approximately 3.5 million ounces of reserves. With over a million ounces of measured and indicated and inferred resources there is significant upside potential to extend beyond Ahafo North’s current 13-year mine life. Yanacocha is South America’s largest gold mine, located between 3,500 and

newmont corp first among equals

4,100 metres above sea level in the province and department of Cajamarca, approximately 800 kilometres northeast of Lima. The operation is a joint venture between Newmont (51.35%), Minas Buenaventura (43.65%) and Sumitomo Corporation (5%). Yanacocha Sulfides will develop the first phase of sulfide deposits and an integrated processing circuit, including an autoclave to process gold, copper and silver feedstock. The project is expected to add 500,000 gold equivalent ounces per year with all-in sustaining costs between $700 to $800 per ounce for the first five full years of production (20262030).

The first phase focuses on developing the Yanacocha Verde and Chaquicocha deposits to extend Yanacocha’s operations beyond 2040 with second and third phases having the potential to extend life for multiple decades. In the United States, Newmont’s operations in the state of Nevada have been combined with those of Barrick Gold since 1 January 2019. Identified synergies are expected to deliver up to $500 million per year over the first five years, then stepping down over time. These will come mainly from integrated mine planning, optimized mining and processing, cost reductions and the combination of Turquoise

Ridge and Twin Creeks into a single mine. Production, CAS and AISC for the company’s 38.5 per cent ownership interest in Nevada Gold Mines is as provided by Barrick Gold Corporation. In Canada, in December 2020, Newmont announced the successful completion of two key projects at its Musselwhite mine at Lake Opapimiskan, Ontario, with the full commissioning of the mine’s conveyor system and the material handling project. “I am extremely proud of the work that has been completed by the team at Musselwhite to safely deliver these two critical projects, whilst managing through the unprecedented challenges World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

newmont corp first among equals

caused by Covid-19,” said Tom Palmer. “Musselwhite is an important part of our North America region, and with the commissioning of these two projects is positioned to contribute to Newmont’s portfolio for many years to come.” The conveyor system and the material handling systems work in association to efficiently move material from deeper mine levels to the surface. Haul distances are reduced as the ore crushed at depth will be hoisted from the underground crushers to the conveyor system and brought to the surface for processing.

Covid-19 response

The year’s achievements cannot obscure the effects of the pandemic, however. In addition to its normal operating costs, Newmont incurred incremental Covid specific costs of $92 million during 2020 for activities such as additional health and safety procedures, increased transportation and community fund

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“Tanami Expansion 2 secures Tanami’s future as a long-life, low-cost producer with potential to extend mine life beyond 2040”

contributions. On 9 April 2020, Newmont announced the establishment of a US$20 million fund to help host communities, governments and employees combat the Covid-19 pandemic. The company continues to maintain wide-ranging protective measures for its workforce and neighbouring communities, including screening, physical distancing, deep cleaning and avoiding exposure for at-risk individuals. Newmont has also been working closely with local governments, medical institutions, charities and non-governmental organizations to direct funds towards the greatest needs, targeting three key elements, employee and community health, food security and local economic resilience. “Our purpose to create value and improve lives through sustainable and responsible mining is more relevant now than ever before,” said CEO Tom Palmer. “The strength of our portfolio

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of world-class assets across top tier jurisdictions underpins the financial flexibility to take care of our employees, communities and shareholders. I am proud of the way our employees have responded to these challenging times.” The Peñasquito mine in Mexico is a good example of what he means. Newmont established infrastructure very early in the pandemic to keep employees and the surrounding communities safe, providing thousands of cleaning kits for health clinics and families, tens of thousands of reusable masks and thousands of books for distance learning. Across the 18 testing sites the company established throughout Mexico, Newmont’s teams performed over 50,000 Covid-19 tests, testing people when they arrive at the site and also when they leave, so they can return to their families and communities safely. In Ghana, elementary schools closed in March 2020, disrupting the education of many children. For some, due to limited access to digital devices and the internet, virtual learning has not been an option. As part of Newmont’s Global Community Support Fund, and through the Gold-4-Gold Reading Program (a literacy initiative launched in 2019), Newmont Ghana rolled out a reading program in partnership with United Way Ghana and the Ghana Library Authority, designed to minimize the

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educational impacts of Covid-19 on children in the Ayawaso District of the capital city, Accra. Another way of supporting communities is by local procurement. Plans have long been in place to optimize procurement and employment opportunities for key stakeholder groups by promoting local employability and skills development, diversity of the workforce, small business development for locals and sustainable business opportunities. Developing and maintaining good relationships with suppliers is essential to Newmont’s overall success, so the company follows a sourcing strategy that utilizes only the highest performing suppliers for any type of good or service acquired. Its Supplier Code of Conduct sets out the minimum standards of conduct expected from all suppliers wishing to do business with, or on behalf of, Newmont, one of which is to embrace the company’s local procurement and employment philosophy, too.

Outlook Newmont announced its 2021 outlook in February, with attributable gold production guidance of 6.5 million ounces and AISC (all-in sustainable costs) of $970 per ounce. Attributable gold production is expected to be between 6.2 and 6.7 million ounces

per year in 2022 and 2023, increasing to between 6.5 to 7.0 million ounces in 2024 and 2025, with improving costs. Newmont’s outlook reflects increasing gold production and ongoing investment in its operating assets and most promising growth prospects. The company has included Ahafo North and Yanacocha Sulfides in its outlook for the first time as the development projects are expected to reach execution stage in 2021. “Newmont’s outlook remains strong and stable as we apply the rigour and discipline of our proven operating model across our world-class portfolio,” said Tom Palmer. “Our five-year outlook reflects improving production and costs as we continue to deliver value from superior operational and project execution. Our strong financial position allows us to continue investing in profitable, organic growth while simultaneously returning cash to shareholders through our industry leading dividend framework.” The outlook for Africa shows production improving in 2021 with Subika Underground delivering higher tonnes at Ahafo, while Akyem benefits from higher grade. CAS (cost of sales) per ounce remains steady with higher grade at Akyem, offset by slightly higher costs at Ahafo due to stockpile processing and stripping from the Subika open pit. Subika Underground should continue

newmont corp first among equals

to deliver higher tonnes through 20222023 while Subika open pit reaches higher grade, partially offset by mine sequencing at Akyem. AISC increases in 2022 with sustaining capital spend for the tailings storage facility at Ahafo. Ahafo North then begins to ramp up in 2023, contributing to the higher production and improving unit costs. In North America, Newmont foresees increased production in 2021 after a full year of operations at Peñasquito in Mexico, and Éléonore and Musselwhite (Canada). Peñasquito is expected to reach slightly higher grade and sustain ‘Full Potential’ improvements in the mill. Porcupine (Canada) will benefit from higher underground and open pit tonnes mined, partially offset by lower leach pad production at Cripple Creek and Victor (Colorado, US). Unit costs are also expected to improve with higher production from a full year of operations at Peñasquito, Éléonore and Musselwhite. Through 2022 and 2023, Éléonore, Musselwhite and CC&V will deliver steady production while Porcupine benefits from higher grades in the Borden underground and the Hollinger open pit mines (in 2022) before Hollinger begins to ramp down in 2023. Peñasquito is, by then, mining lower grade, harder ore from the Chile Colorado pit while stripping the next phases of the Peñasco pit from 2022 to 2024.

Unit costs impacted by mine sequencing at Peñasquito, Éléonore, CC&V and Porcupine will be partially offset by improved productivity and efficiencies at Musselwhite, with the completion of the new conveyor system and lower mine material handling system. In South America, a full year of production in 2021 from Cerro Negro is likely to be partially offset by Merian (Surinam) transitioning to harder rock and Yanacocha transitioning to a primarily leach operation while developing the first phase of the sulfide resources. Unit costs remain steady with higher production and improved productivity at Cerro Negro, offset by lower production at Yanacocha. Production is forecast to improve through 2022-2023 with higher ore tonnes mined from Full Potential productivity improvements and mining from five to six ore sources at Cerro Negro. Yanacocha and Merian are expected to be impacted by slightly lower production due to mine sequencing. In Australia, production will benefit in 2021 from Full Potential improvements at Boddington to sustain mill throughput at greater than 40 million tonnes per annum, while the site also benefits from higher grade in the South Pit. Tanami continues to deliver solid performance with 500,000 ounces of production while advancing the Tanami

Expansion 2 project. AISC includes sustaining capital spend at Boddington to advance Autonomous Haulage, which is expected to reach commercial production in 2021. Production at Boddington benefits from higher grade and improved efficiency from autonomous haulage beginning in 2022 before transitioning to stripping the next layback in 2023. Tanami will partially offset Boddington’s lower production in 2023 as Tanami Expansion 2 begins to ramp up. Unit costs improve with higher grade and efficiency at Boddington and improved underground efficiencies at Tanami as the second expansion comes online. Newmont has been careful to point out that its 2021 and longerterm outlook assumes operations continue without major Covid-related interruptions. The company continues to maintain wide-ranging protective measures for its workforce and neighbouring communities, including screening, physical distancing, deep cleaning and avoiding exposure for at-risk individuals. If continuing operations pose an increased risk to the workforce or host communities, Newmont says it will reduce operational activities up to, and including, care and maintenance and management of critical environmental systems.

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bhp performance

& development

HP has emerged from a difficult year with a strong safety performance, operations enhanced by automation and reduced carbon emissions, and development projects on track using local suppliers

In his introduction to the operational review for the nine months ended 31 March 2021, BHP Chief Executive Officer Mike Henry highlighted a strong safety and operational performance, with record year-to-date production at Western Australia Iron Ore, the Goonyella Riverside metallurgical coal mine in Queensland and concentrator throughput at Escondida in Chile. Major projects are being ramped up, he said, bringing on new supply in copper and iron ore, with the Spence Growth Option producing copper in Chile and Samarco in Brazil recommencing iron ore pellet production at one concentrator in December 2020. The South Flank iron ore project in Australia is on track to begin production in the middle of the year. One of BHP’s other growth projects, the Jansen potash project in Saskatchewan, Canada, remains on track for a final investment decision in mid-2021.

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IRON ORE Despite restrictions associated with the Covid-19 pandemic, Western Australia Iron Ore (WAIO) achieved record production in FY2020 and again in the nine months to 31 March 2021. WAIO is an integrated system of four processing hubs and five mines connected by more than 1,000 kilometres of rail infrastructure and port facilities in the Pilbara region of northern Western Australia. The reserve base is relatively concentrated, allowing development to be planned around integrated mining hubs connected to the mines and satellite orebodies by conveyors or spur lines. This approach enables the value of installed infrastructure to be maximised by using the same processing plant and rail infrastructure for a number of orebodies. WAIO consists of four main joint ventures: Mt Newman, Yandi, Mt Goldsworthy and Jimblebar. BHP’s interest in each of the joint ventures is 85 per cent, with Mitsui and ITOCHU owning the remaining 15 per cent. The joint ventures are unincorporated, except Jimblebar. At each processing hub – Newman, Yandi, Mining Area C and Jimblebar – the ore is crushed, beneficiated (where necessary) and blended to create

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“To meet border controls introduced by the Western Australian Government, more than 900 employees and contractors in businesscritical roles were temporarily relocated to Western Australia, including train drivers and train load out operators”

high-grade haematite lump and fines products which are then transported along the Port Hedland–Newman Rail Line to the Finucane Island and Nelson Point port facilities at Port Hedland. WAIO continues to focus on operating safely, implementing a series of preventive measures designed to minimise the spread of Covid-19. To meet border controls introduced by the Western Australian Government, more than 900 employees and contractors in business-critical roles were temporarily relocated to Western Australia, including train drivers and train load out operators. Construction began in July 2018 on the South Flank iron ore project in the Pilbara region. When operational, South Flank will be one of the largest iron ore processing hubs in the world. The project will include a crushing and screening plant, an overland conveyor system and rail-loading facilities. Commissioning activities for South Flank are expected to commence in the June 2021 quarter and the mine is expected to produce 80 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa), replacing volumes from Yandi as it reaches the end of its economic life in the early-to-mid 2020s. The project is expected to create 2,500 construction jobs, more than 600 operational roles and generate

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opportunities for Western Australian suppliers. The mine is expected to produce iron ore for more than 25 years.

COPPER BHP mines for copper in Chile and Peru, as well as Australia. For the nine months to March 2021, its Chilean assets experienced a substantial reduction in their operational workforces as a result of Covid-19 restrictions, a situation which is expected to continue for the remainder of the financial year. Copper production at Escondida decreased by eight per cent to 821 kt, as record concentrator throughput was offset by the impact of lower concentrator feed grade and lower cathode volumes. Concentrator throughput continues to be prioritised over cathode production as a result of the reduced operational workforce and to prioritise yield of ore. Copper production at Pampa Norte, also in Chile, decreased by 21 per cent to 149 kt, largely due to planned maintenance at Spence as well as the impact of a reduced operational workforce as a result of Covid-19 restrictions.

Olympic Dam BHP’s flagship copper operation, Olympic Dam, located 560 kilometres World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

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north of Adelaide in South Australia, is one of the world’s most significant deposits of copper, gold, silver and uranium. Olympic Dam consists of underground and surface operations, with a fully integrated processing facility from ore to metal. The underground mine contains more than 450 kilometres of roads and tunnels. Ore mined underground is hauled by an automated train system to crushing, storage and ore hoisting facilities. Olympic Dam copper production increased by 25 per cent to 155 kt in the nine months ending 31 March 2021, reflecting improved smelter performance and stability. Production for the March 2021 quarter itself was 55 kt, the highest quarterly production rate in five years. Production in the 2022 financial year is expected to be lower as a result of the major smelter maintenance campaign planned for

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the first half of the year.

“Commissioning for South Flank is expected to commence in the June 2021 quarter and the mine is expected to produce 80 million tonnes per annum, replacing volumes from Yandi as it reaches the end of its economic life”

Late last year BHP decided against proceeding with a planned $2.5 billion expansion of Olympic Dam after studies of the ore body revealed weaker than expected results. The complex has a range of future growth options, however, from incremental debottlenecking through to large scale investments. A third phase of exploration drilling on the Oak Dam project has been completed with additional geotechnical and geo-metallurgical data collected to assist in the understanding of the deposit. Preparations are also well advanced for the next Smelter Campaign Maintenance to be executed early in FY2022. Downer EDI Ltd has recently announced that its Asset Services business has been awarded a major contract to provide maintenance and shutdown services at Olympic Dam as part of the Smelter Campaign Maintenance 2021 Project (SCM21).

“South Flank is expected to create 2,500 construction jobs, more than 600 operational roles and generate opportunities for Western Australian suppliers. The mine is expected to produce iron ore for more than 25 years”

Downer will deliver two work packages, involving specialist welding, boiler engineering and planning and scheduling services. The project is expected to run for approximately eight months until December 2021, with the major shutdown commencing in August. BHP has also awarded a $15 million contract to Boom Logistics for the supply of cranes, rigging and engineering services. “During the SCM21 shutdown, Boom Logistics will have 40 cranes and approximately 150 crew on site at Olympic Dam,” said CEO and managing director Tony Spassopoulos. “Shutdowns

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are an essential part of mining maintenance, contributing to safe and effective production and productivity improvement.” This year’s mobilisation of equipment will begin in June and will run from August to November 2021.

Newman East BHP has copper operations in Western Australia, too. The company announced in February 2020 that it intended to introduce 20 autonomous trucks at its Newman East mine in WA by the end of the year, creating more than 40 new jobs and generating more than $33 million in contracts for Western Australian

businesses. “We recognise how important it is for BHP to partner with local and small businesses, particularly as we move into a post-Covid economic recovery phase,” said Marie Bourgoin, BHP’s Newman Operations General Manager. “We are pleased to have been able to offer A$33 million in contracts to WA vendors for a range of work packages including autonomous conversion kits, trailers, training content development, and a number of engineering and construction packages.” Home to BHP’s Innovation Centre, the Newman East mine will be the second of the company’s Western Australian

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mines to transition to fully autonomous haulage. By November last year, 22 autonomous trucks had been fully deployed. BHP has operated a fullyautonomous truck fleet at its Western Australian Jimblebar iron ore mine since 2017. Bourgoin said there were no redundancies as part of the transition and more than 300 people in the Newman operations workforce were undergoing training and upskilling to work on an autonomous haulage site. “We have created new control centre roles, which many of our truck operators have transitioned into, as well as new opportunities in truck maintenance and

fuelling,” she said.

South America By the end of the current financial year, BHP expects to complete a trial of autonomous haul trucks at the Escondida copper mine in the Antofagasta region, and in April this year it was announced that the copper and zinc mine Antamina, (a joint venture in Peru in which BHP owns 33.75%, Glencore 33.75%, Teck 22.5% and Mitsubishi 10%) would do the same. “We are going to make a progressive conversion, with trucks with capacity of 380-400t,” said Antamina president

Víctor Gobitz in a webinar. Antamina is currently focusing on bottlenecks in the crushing area and on new tailings management options. The company has obtained authorization from the environmental certification service for sustainable investments (Senace) to carry out US$180m worth of work to optimize equipment and modify auxiliary components in the mine’s concentrator plant. Antamina is among Peru’s largest copper and zinc producers but also mines molybdenum, silver, bismuth and lead. BHP owns 57.5 per cent of, and operates, the Escondida mine in the Atacama Desert in northern World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

“In September last year BHP signed a renewable power purchasing agreement to meet half of its electricity needs across its Queensland Coal mines from low emissions sources, including solar and wind”

Chile. Escondida’s two pits feed three concentrator plants, as well as two leaching operations (oxide and sulphide). The Centre of Integrated Operations (CIO) was inaugurated in July 2019 in BHP’s Santiago office and has since provided remote control services to the mine and process areas of Escondida and Spence. The CIO enables an operation that is safer and more productive by reducing people on-site and allowing them to work in a collaborative space. The Escondida Water Supply Expansion (EWSE) project was completed on time and budget in

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December 2019. Following the completion of the project, Escondida has eliminated water drawdown from aquifers for operational supply 10 years ahead of its FY2030 target. Also in Chile, Pampa Norte consists of two wholly owned operations in the Atacama Desert – Spence and Cerro Colorado – producing high-quality copper cathodes through leaching, solvent extraction and electrowinning processes. Pampa Norte copper production for FY2020 decreased by 2 per cent to 243 kt, mainly due to a 14 per cent decline in stacked ore grade. Production for the 2021 financial year is expected to be between 240 and 270 kt, reflecting

the reduced operational workforce due to Covid-19, the start-up of the Spence Growth Option Project and expected grade decline of approximately seven per cent. The Spence Growth Option (SGO) achieved first copper sales in March 2021, following first copper production in December 2020. The ramp-up to full production capacity at SGO is on track and is expected to take approximately 12 months from first production, following which Spence is expected to average 300 ktpa of over the first four years. The BHP Operating System deployment at Spence started in January 2020 and is expected to continue during FY2021. Similar to Escondida, Spence

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will be undertaking studies on various material handling technologies, such as automated trucks, trolley assistance and in-pit crushers and conveyors to increase mine productivity and improve cost competitiveness.

COAL BHP mines for coal in Colombia and Australia, where its operations are split between Queensland and New South Wales.

Queensland Coal Queensland Coal comprises the BHP Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) and BHP Mitsui Coal (BMC) assets in the Bowen

Basin in Central Queensland where it enjoys key infrastructure including a modern, multi-user rail network and its own coal-loading terminal at Hay Point, near the city of Mackay. BMA is Australia’s largest coal producer and supplier of seaborne metallurgical coal. It is owned 50:50 by BHP and Mitsubishi Development and operates seven Bowen Basin mines (Goonyella Riverside, Broadmeadow, Daunia, Peak Downs, Saraji, Blackwater and Caval Ridge) and owns and operates the Hay Point Coal Terminal. With the exception of the Broadmeadow underground longwall operation, BMA’s mines are open-cut, using draglines and truck and shovel fleets for overburden removal.

Autonomous trucks are being implemented at two of these sites, 34 at Daunia and 86 at Goonyella Riverside. Deployment at both sites is expected to be completed early in CY2022. BMC owns and operates two open-cut metallurgical coal mines in the Bowen Basin – South Walker Creek Mine and Poitrel Mine. BMC is owned by BHP (80 per cent) and Mitsui and Co (20 per cent). South Walker Creek Mine is located on the eastern flank of the Bowen Basin, 35 kilometres west of the town of Nebo and 132 kilometres west of the Hay Point port facilities. Poitrel Mine is situated southeast of the town of Moranbah and began open-cut operations in October 2006. World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

In the nine months ending 31 March 2021, Queensland Coal achieved record underground coal mined at Broadmeadow and record annual production at Caval Ridge and Poitrel. In September last year BHP signed a renewable power purchasing agreement to meet half of its electricity needs across its Queensland Coal mines from low emissions sources, including solar and wind. The agreement will help BHP reduce emissions from electricity use in its Queensland operations by 50 per cent by 2025, based on FY2020 levels. The agreement, with Queensland’s state-owned clean energy generator and retailer CleanCo, will run for five years from 1 January 2021. The agreement is the first of its kind signed by BHP in Australia and follows the company’s shift to 100 per cent renewables in its Chilean operations at Escondida and Spence from the mid-2020s. It will also support the development of new solar

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and wind farms in Queensland – the Western Downs Green Power Hub due for completion in late 2022, and Karara Wind Farm due for completion in early 2023.

in the short term, but overall increased realised value. Truck productivity improvements were delivered in the second half of FY2020, enabling a step-change improvement across the company’s mining fleets.

New South Wales Energy Coal

BHP is seeking approval for the Mt Arthur Coal mine to continue operating beyond 30 June 2026, when the current open-cut approval expires. As well as a new mining lease, New State Significant Development (SSD) and Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act approvals are required for operations to continue beyond 30 June 2026.

New South Wales Energy Coal consists of the Mt Arthur Coal open-cut energy coal mine in the Hunter Valley region of New South Wales, which produces coal for domestic and international customers in the energy sector. Operated by Hunter Valley Energy Coal Pty Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of BHP, Mt Arthur Coal is approximately five kilometres south of the town of Muswellbrook, with workforce of around 2,000 people who predominantly live in the region. During FY2020, NSWEC transitioned to a strategy of optimising product quality, which resulted in a reduction in volumes and an increase in unit costs

The multi-year approval process will involve comprehensive assessment and review, and broad engagement to enable the local community and other key stakeholders to provide input. As announced in August 2020, however, BHP is

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assessing options to divest its thermal coal assets, including Mt Arthur Coal, to focus its portfolio on higher quality metallurgical coal, which means Mt Arthur Coal’s ownership or operating control could change before the continuation project is fulfilled.

Cerrejón BHP also has a one-third interest in Cerrejón, which owns, operates and markets one of the world’s largest opencut export energy coal mines, located in the La Guajira province of Colombia. Cerrejón also owns and operates integrated rail and port facilities through which the majority of production is exported to European, Asian, North and South American customers. Production at Cerrejón decreased by 50 per cent in the nine months to 31 March 2021, largely as a result of a 91-day strike in the first half of the year and subsequent delays to the restart of

production, as well as the impact of a reduced operational workforce due to Covid-19 restrictions.

NICKEL All of BHP’s nickel operations (mines, concentrators, a smelter and refinery) are located in Western Australia, where Nickel West is a fully integrated mineto-market nickel business. Low-grade disseminated sulphide ore is mined from Mt Keith, a large openpit operation. The ore is crushed and processed on-site to produce nickel concentrate. High-grade nickel sulphide ore is mined at Cliffs and Leinster underground mines and Rocky’s Reward open-pit mine. The ore is processed through a concentrator and dryer at Leinster. Nickel West’s concentrator plant in Kambalda processes ore and concentrate purchased from third parties.

The three streams of nickel concentrate come together at the Nickel West Kalgoorlie smelter, which uses a flash furnace to smelt concentrate to produce nickel matte. Nickel West Kwinana then refines granulated nickel matte from the Kalgoorlie smelter into premium-grade nickel powder and briquettes containing 99.8 per cent nickel. Nickel matte and metal are exported to overseas markets via the Port of Fremantle. Over 75% of BHP’s nickel is now sold to global battery material suppliers. Nickel West is expected to complete construction soon of a nickel sulphate plant at the Kwinana nickel refinery, with first product due in the second half of FY2021. Nickel sulphate is used in the lithium-ion batteries that power electric vehicles. The Nickel West resource transition, involving the construction of three new mines, continued to progress during FY2020, with two of these mines now in World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

full production. The Mt Keith satellite mine (Yakabindie) entered production in December 2019 and is now the primary source of feed to the Mt Keith concentrator. The Venus underground mine transitioned to full production in September 2019, with ore hoisted to the Leinster concentrator. Leinster B11 (the first block cave to be developed by BHP, located beneath the Leinster underground mine) is expected to commence the undercut phase during

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the first half of FY2021, providing increasing quantities of ore to the Leinster concentrator as the project progresses to full caving. Nickel West signed an agreement to acquire the Honeymoon Well development project on 19 June 2020 and the remaining 50 per cent interest in the Albion Downs North and Jericho exploration joint ventures, located approximately 50 kilometres from Mt Keith. Nickel West production increased by

“Nickel West is expected to complete construction soon of a nickel sulphate plant at the Kwinana nickel refinery, with first product due in the second half of FY2021”

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19 per cent to 67 kt as a result of major quadrennial maintenance shutdowns in the prior period and strong performance from the new mines. Production for the March 2021 quarter was impacted by the planned maintenance undertaken at the Kwinana refinery during the quarter. Guidance for the 2021 financial year remains unchanged at between 85 and 95 kt. BHP announced its intention in February this year to reduce emissions from electricity use by up to 50 per cent

at the Nickel West Kwinana Refinery. A 10 year renewable power purchasing agreement has been signed with Risen Energy to supply up to 50 per cent of its electricity needs at the Kwinana Refinery from Merredin Solar Farm. “We have established significant renewable power supply agreements for our Kwinana nickel refinery, Queensland Coal operations, and Escondida and Spence copper mines,” said Mike Henry. “With our focus on keeping our people safe, costs down and

productivity up, we are well positioned to finish the year strongly and continue delivering the essential products the world needs.”

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Barrick Gold www.BARRICK.com

Delivery and development D

espite the disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, Barrick Gold referred to 2020 as ‘a year of delivery and development’ as the company met its production targets and advanced its growth projects. Barrick Gold is pursuing a vision ‘to be the world’s most valued gold mining business by finding, developing and operating the best assets, with the best people, to deliver the best returns, on a sustainable basis, to our owners and partners’. That vision was supported by a consistent operating performance across all quarters of the year, demonstrating the company’s ability to manage impact of the pandemic and its other challenges, which included a coup in Mali, the financial meltdown in Argentina and the Papua New Guinea government’s flirtation with resource nationalism.

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Higher gold and copper prices drove annual operating cash flow up 91% to $5.4 billion and annual free cash flow to a new record high of $3.4 billion

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Higher gold and copper prices drove annual operating cash flow up 91% to $5.4 billion and annual free cash flow to a new record high of $3.4 billion. Net earnings per share were $1.31 for 2020 and adjusted net earnings per share of $1.15 was up 125% on the previous year. Gold total cash costs and all-insustaining-costs (AISC) were within guidance, in spite of higher royalty costs, and Barrick-operated copper assets produced a strong performance with costs at the low end, or below, the guidance range. The results allowed Barrick to declare an unchanged quarterly dividend of 9 cents per share and to propose a $750 million capital return, in line with the

company’s strategy of returning surplus funds to shareholders. The return of capital is subject to shareholder approval at the Annual and Special Meeting on 4 May 2021.

achieved a 76% replacement of depleted ounces, excluding Massawa, with the Africa and Middle East region once again more than replenishing their reserves.

The group’s total attributable gold resources grew in 2020, net of depletion and excluding the impact of the disposition of Massawa, as a result of the focus on high-confidence geology models following the merger with Randgold. Attributable gold reserves

The merger with Randgold created a company which owned five of the industry’s Top 10 Tier One gold assets – Cortez and Goldstrike in Nevada USA (both 100%), Loulo-Gounkoto in Mali (80%), Kibali in the Democratic Republic of Congo (45%) and Pueblo

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Viejo in the Dominican Republic (60%) – as well as two with Tier One potential – Turquoise Ridge and the Goldrush/ Fourmile project, both in Nevada. When Barrick combined its Nevada assets on 1 July 2019 with those of Newmont to create Nevada Gold Mines (61.5% owned and operated by Barrick) Turquoise Ridge became the sixth Tier One mine in the Barrick portfolio.

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“The discovery of a new zone of mineralisation approximately 2km east of the Winu deposit, as well as a number of other encouraging drilling results in close proximity to the maiden Winu Resource, indicates the potential for the development of multiple ore bodies within one system”

Delivery and development

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“Kibali is a world leader in automated underground mining, through systems that allow multiple autonomous machines to operate on the same haulage and production levels”

Africa Barrick’s African mines have performed particularly well, as the benefits of the merger with Randgold come to the fore. Loulo-Gounkoto is now one of the world’s largest gold mining operations and one of the largest businesses in West Africa. Randgold also brought with it the Tongon Mine in Côte d’Ivoire, Kibali Gold Mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Massawa in Senegal (now sold), Lumwana in Zambia and the Morila Gold Mine in Mali. The discovery and development of Morila, in which a JV with AngloGold Ashanti owned 80 per cent, served as the springboard for the company’s expansion into Africa. Since it went into production in October 2000 Morila produced 6.9 million ounces of gold. The mine was due for closure this year but the JV’s share was sold in November 2020 to Firefinch Limited (previously known as Mali Lithium Limited) for $28.8 million cash. The Government of Mali retains the remaining 20 per cent. For Barrick, the sale is in line with its policy of selling non-core assets to concentrate on Tier One mines – those with the capacity to produce at least 500,000 ounces of gold annually for more than 10 years in the lower half of the industry’s cost curve. One of these is Kibali in the DRC, a joint venture with AngloGold Ashanti and the Congolese parastatal SOKIMO. The Kibali Joint Venture produced 808,134 ounces of gold in 2020, achieving the top-end of production

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guidance for the year. This performance was driven by its underground operation which achieved record monthly and quarterly ore production in December and Q4 2020. Kibali is a world leader in automated underground mining, through systems that allow multiple autonomous machines to operate on the same haulage and production levels, and provide real-time visibility of all operations as well as automated control of the ventilation fans. Kibali has consistently lowered its carbon emissions thanks to its three hydropower stations and the implementation of predictive maintenance monitoring at these plants will further minimize downtime. At the same time, Kibali has continued

exploration and resource conversion and has replaced the ounces depleted by mining, thereby extending the life of the mine. Barrick’s Loulo-Gounkoto mine complex comprises two distinct mining permits, Loulo and Gounkoto, in western Mali, bordering Senegal and adjacent to the Falémé River. The Loulo gold mine is owned by Société des Mines de Loulo, and the Gounkoto gold mine by Société des Mines de Gounkoto. Both Loulo and Gounkoto are owned by Barrick (80%), and the State of Mali (20%). The Loulo-Gounkoto complex delivered production of 680,215 ounces of gold in 2020, exceeding its full year guidance despite Covid-19 and other challenges. At the same time,

Delivery and development

www.BARRICK.com it improved its safety performance, reducing its lost-time injury frequency rate by more than half compared to 2019 and achieving a lost-time injury-free year in its underground operations. The underground operations have reached a world-class level of automation, hard on the heels of pace-setter Kibali. The two existing underground mines, Yalea and Gara, will shortly be joined by a third when Gounkoto underground delivers its first ore tonnes planned for the second quarter of this year. In another major technological advance, Loulo commissioned Barrick’s first solar power plant in the Africa and Middle East region, delivering 20mW of capacity into the microgrid. Projects scheduled for completion in 2021

“In another major technological advance, Loulo commissioned Barrick’s first solar power plant in the Africa and Middle East region, delivering 20mW of capacity into the microgrid” include the commissioning of a water treatment plant, an expansion of power generating capacity and a powerline upgrade to support the new Gounkoto underground mine.

gold reserves were now larger than they had been 15 years ago, and indications were that it would once more have replaced ounces depleted by mining in 2020.

The complex continued to support and develop local businesses, spending more than $375 million with local contractors and suppliers in 2020. In a presentation to local media and stakeholders at the Loulo mine, Barrick president and chief executive Mark Bristow said that thanks to continuing successful exploration, the complex’s

“The Loulo district lies at the heart of one of the world’s most prolific gold regions,” he said. “Over the past 15 years, this has delivered more worldclass discoveries than any other, and our extensive exploration programs are designed not only to replenish our reserves but to find our next Tier One mine.” World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

In Côte D’Ivoire, Barrick’s Tongon gold mine is 55 kilometres south of the border with Mali. The mine is owned by Société des Mines de Tongon SA, in which Barrick has an 89.7% interest, and the State of Côte d’lvoire 10%, with 0.3% held by Ivorian investors. The Tongon mine produced a total of 284,863 ounces of gold in 2020, at the top end of its guidance for the year, driven by strong plant throughput with runtime setting a record of 95.2% in October. This improved throughput, combined with cost-reduction initiatives, had a positive impact on per ounce costs compared to 2019.

World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

“The discovery and development of Morila, in which a JV with AngloGold Ashanti owned 80 per cent, served as the springboard for the company’s expansion into Africa” Built and commissioned in the middle of a civil war, Tongon has operated in an unstable socio-political environment

and has been impacted by problems including a mill fire, recurring technical issues and an erratic grid power supply. “Despite all these challenges, Tongon has been consistently profitable and in 2020 again paid a $150 million dividend to its shareholders,” said Bristow. “It provided $1.2 million to the government to support its campaign against Covid-19 while implementing effective prevention measures at the mine to protect its people and the business. And it maintained its commitment to its host community with the installation and start-up of a number of incomegenerating projects.”

Delivery and development www.BARRICK.com Continued exploration and the conversion of resources to reserves have extended the life of the mine to 2023 and further opportunities for replacing reserves are being pursued. In Tanzania, the North Mara and Bulyanhulu gold mines both produced near the top end of their production guidance in 2020, their first full year under Barrick’s management. Including Buzwagi, the Tanzanian assets delivered a combined output of 462,472 ounces for the year. The mines have been successfully revived, with North Mara delivering significant improvements and underground production restarted at Bulyanhulu. The mines, managed through the Twiga joint venture with the Government of Tanzania, paid a maiden dividend of $250 million in October 2020. North Mara posted a record throughput in Q4 and Bulyanhulu recommenced processing of underground ore during the quarter. Bulyanhulu is scheduled to be in full production by the second half of 2021, when its ramp-up is completed. “We’re optimizing our 10-year plan to make the combined North Mara and Bulyanhulu mines the seventh Tier One complex in the Barrick portfolio by bringing them into the lower half of the industry’s cost curve,” said Bristow. During 2020, Barrick invested $800 million in the Tanzanian economy in the form of taxes, permits, infrastructure development, salaries and payments to local suppliers. In line with its groupwide policy of employing host country nationals, the company continued to recruit locally, with over 600 new workers employed during the year at Bulyanhulu alone. Tanzanian nationals now make up 96% of the mine’s total workforce. World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

Barrick’s African portfolio is completed by the Lumwana copper mine in Zambia, a conventional open pit (truck and shovel) operation located about 100 kilometres west of Solwezi in Zambia’s Copperbelt - one of the most prospective copper regions in the world. Lumwana ore, which is predominantly sulphide, is treated through a conventional sulphide flotation plant to produce copper concentrate. The mine

produced 276 million pounds of copper in 2020, a 23% increase since 2018. Proper maintenance and increased efficiencies led to a record throughput of 25.3Mt in 2020, with December being the highest month for milling since the plant was commissioned in 2008. The life of mine has been extended to 2039 as a result of the improved cost profile, and there is potential for further expansion and development of a super-pit.

Proper maintenance and increased efficiencies led to a record throughput of 25.3Mt in 2020, with December being the highest month for milling since the plant was commissioned in 2008

World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

Delivery and development www.BARRICK.com

“Loulo-Gounkoto is now one of the world’s largest gold mining operations and one of the largest businesses in West Africa”

World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

North America On 1 July 2019 Barrick Gold and Newmont Corporation (then known as Newmont Goldcorp) announced the completion of their joint venture to combine their respective Nevada properties into Nevada Gold Mines LLC. The deal was described at the time as a classic case of the whole being more valuable than the sum of its parts – and so it has proved. The JV is operated and 61.5% owned by Barrick, and 38.5% owned by Newmont. It ranks as the largest gold producing complex in the world by a wide margin, with three of the world’s top 10 tier one gold assets (Barrick’s Cortez, the combination of Barrick’s Goldstrike and Newmont’s Carlin,

World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

and Barrick’s Turquoise Ridge with Newmont’s Twin Creeks. In its first year of combined operation, NGM met the production and cost targets set out at the start of the joint venture, a significant achievement considering the JV had required the integration of multiple assets, including three Tier One mines, into a unified complex under a new leadership team. “The new team was drawn from both legacy companies,” said Bristow. “It started with a clean slate in a fit-forpurpose structure, integrating the two bodies of knowledge to produce new models and fresh opportunities. “By removing the fences that had previously separated geologically connected assets, mines and projects

Delivery and development Having successfully implemented the financial consolidation process into OneStream during Q4, the next building block is a concurrent roll-out of a more agile financial planning system, also within the new OneStream application. The full integration of these two major platforms (SAP and OneStream) will enable much quicker insight into the group’s key cost drivers and enormously increase the potential for efficiency analysis, benchmarking and other valueadded reporting.

Barrick’s approach to delivering digital innovation is to let subject matter experts from within the business functions drive the programs, as opposed to a centralized innovation office that clearly belonged together could be combined into larger and more efficient operations, with substantial savings as an immediate benefit. Even more important, this joint venture has created a platform from where we can see a bright new future for NGM as the leader of its industry in every respect: truly a case of the best assets and the best people delivering the best returns.” Barrick’s growth projects in Nevada are also continuing according to plan. Construction of the twin exploration declines at Goldrush continues to progress ahead of schedule. The integration of the Goldrush project team into the Cortez structure has been completed and the consolidated underground management team is currently progressing operational readiness. During 2021, underground development and exploration will continue at Goldrush. First ore will be exposed in the first half of 2021 as part of ongoing exploration and development. Activities in 2021 will

primarily focus on verifying geological, geotechnical and geohydrological models developed for the feasibility study until a Record of Decision is received. Following receipt, construction of infrastructure to allow the ramp-up of production activities can commence. Construction of the third shaft at Turquoise Ridge, which has a hoisting capacity of 5,500 tonnes per day, continues to advance according to schedule and within budget. Together with increased hoisting capacity, the third shaft is expected to provide additional ventilation for underground mining operations as well as shorter material haulage distances. Commissioning is expected in late 2022. With the implementation of SAP S4 HANA at Nevada Gold Mines in 2020, Barrick laid one of the key foundations for its updated digital roadmap. As the remaining mines and regions bring SAP online in 2021, a major portion of the data used for operational and financial analysis will become standardized globally.

Barrick’s approach to delivering digital innovation is to let subject matter experts from within the business functions drive the programs, as opposed to a centralized innovation office. This has the benefit of ensuring tight ownership by the business and alignment with technology teams. In Canada, the Hemlo operation is located about 350 kilometres east of Thunder Bay, Ontario. Plans were announced in October 2020 to extend the life of the Hemlo mine by transitioning it to a modernized Tier Two asset with a purely underground operation. The Hemlo open pit has been mined since 1989 and has produced over 2.8 million ounces of gold. In 2013, the David Bell mine closed, leaving the open pit and the Williams underground mine as the chief sources of ore for the mill feed. Over the next six years, the open pit ramped up and became the primary source of ore for Hemlo. With mining at the open pit scheduled to wind down at the end of October last year, however, with less than 200,000 tonnes of ore remaining, a transition plan was put in place to transfer most of the 70-plus open pit employees to the current underground contractor, Barminco.

www.BARRICK.com World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

Latin America

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Barrick’s flagship operation in Latin America is Pueblo Viejo in the Dominican Republic, approximately 100 kilometres northwest of the capital city of Santo Domingo. Owned and operated by the Pueblo Viejo Dominicana Corporation, a joint venture between Barrick (60%) and Newmont (40%), the project has been producing gold since 2012. The company’s workforce is 98% Dominican. For the second straight year, mill throughput achieved a record in 2020. The expansion of Pueblo Viejo is expected to maintain the mine’s Tier One status for years to come. Plans include an expansion of the mine’s processing plant and tailings capacity with an estimated initial capital investment of more than a billion dollars and the potential to extend the life of the mine into the 2030s and beyond. The plant expansion was approved last year and work has commenced. Construction activities continued to ramp-up following EIA approval in Q3 2020. The company is engaging with government and stakeholders to secure land tenure and access for a new tailings storage facility. During the past year, Pueblo Viejo converted its Quisqueya power plant from heavy fuel oil to natural gas. This will reduce greenhouse gases by 30% and nitrogen oxide by 85%, further reducing Pueblo Viejo’s impact on the environment. There are also plans to switch its lime kiln from diesel to natural gas. In Argentina, the Veladero mine is located in San Juan Province, in the highly prospective Frontera District. The property is located at elevations of 4,000 to 4,850 metres above sea level, approximately 374 kilometres northwest of the city of San Juan. Veladero is a 50/50 joint venture operation with Shandong Gold. Barrick is presently focused on the transition to a new heap leach phase at Veladero, which was temporarily delayed by the response to the Covid-19

World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

“Barrick is presently focused on the transition to a new heap leach phase at Veladero, which was temporarily delayed by the response to the Covid-19 pandemic in Argentina” pandemic in Argentina. As the operation now transitions to Phase 6, which is on-track for commissioning by the end of the first half of 2021, the focus at Veladero will be on ensuring the delivery of the optimized 10year plan, including the start of the Cuatro Esquinas pit pushback and the acceleration of brownfields and infill drilling. Barrick expects stronger performance at Veladero in the second half of 2021 after commissioning of Phase 6, as heap leach processing operations will be reduced during the transition phase. The project to link Veladero to the power grid in neighbouring Chile, halted by the pandemic, is also underway again. In February this year Barrick announced it had reached an agreement to sell its 100% interest in the Lagunas Norte mine in Peru to Boroo Pte Ltd (Singapore) for a total consideration of up to $81 million, plus the assumption by Boroo of Barrick’s closure liability relating to Lagunas Norte. Mark Bristow said the sale was in line with Barrick’s policy of selling non-core interests, a process which has already realized some $1.5 billion, in order to focus its portfolio on Tier One assets. The proposed acquisition would benefit the mine’s stakeholders in Peru, he said, by giving Boroo the opportunity

Delivery and development to extend its life by accessing satellite resources and adapting the infrastructure. At Pierina, also in Peru, closure planning is continuing, although Bristow has made it clear that the Latin American region remains an important destination for Barrick, so the company will keep a team in Peru to continue to develop its portfolio of exploration assets and to pursue opportunities to find and operate world-class gold and or copper mines in that country again.

World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

Middle East and Asia-Pacific The Jabal Sayid copper operation is located 350 kilometres north-east of Jeddah in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It’s a 50/50 joint venture operation with Ma’aden. The first shipment of copper concentrate occurred in December 2015, and the mine commenced commercial production in July 2016. Jabal Sayid’s copper production in the fourth quarter of 2020 was 6% higher compared to the prior quarter, mainly due to an increase in throughput following improvements to the milling circuit and higher plant availabilities. Copper production in 2020 of 75 million pounds exceeded the guidance range of 60 to 70 million pounds, with the mine exceeding expectations on grade and tonnes, and the plant outperforming on both throughput and plant availabilities. 2021 production guidance is 70 to 80 mlbs. The drill program at Jabal Sayid is on track to convert additional inferred resource into the life of mine plan. It continues to highlight extension opportunities at the known lodes and to outline new potential at greenfield targets. Building on the exploration success in the third quarter of 2020, surface and underground drilling has recommenced at Lode 1. The Porgera Joint Venture is an open pit and underground gold mine located at an altitude of 2,200-2,600 meters in the Enga Province of Papua New Guinea, about 600 kilometres northwest of Port Moresby. Barrick and Zijin Mining Group each own 47.5% of the operation, with the remaining 5% interest held by Mineral Resources Enga.

World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

Copper production in 2020 of 75 million pounds exceeded the guidance range of 60 to 70 million pounds, with the mine exceeding expectations on grade and tonnes, and the plant outperforming on both throughput and plant availabilities

Delivery and development Porgera’s Special Mining Lease terminated on 16 August 2019. The company applied for a 20-year extension in June 2017 and has been engaging with the Government of Papua New Guinea on the matter ever since. On 2 August 2019, a ruling from the National Court of Papua New Guinea allowed the mine to continue operating while the application to extend its SML was being considered. Also in 2019, in response to a request from Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Marape, the company proposed a benefitsharing arrangement that would deliver more than half the economic benefits from the Porgera mine to Papua New Guinea stakeholders, including the

Government, for the remainder of the life of mine, estimated at 20 years. On 24 April 2020, however, Barrick Niugini Limited (BNL), the majority owner and operator of the Porgera JV, was told by the Government of Papua New Guinea that the SML would not be extended, a move interpreted by Barrick as tantamount to nationalisation. Porgera was placed on temporary care and maintenance on 25 April 2020 to ensure the safety and security of its employees and communities. The power struggle is continuing through the courts. Due to the uncertainty, however, Porgera has not been included in Barrick’s full year 2021 guidance.

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World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

ENGINEERING DREAMS www.bonfiglioli.com

Tell us about Bonfiglioli Bonfiglioli operates in electromechanical power transmissions and electronic power control, more specifically in gearboxes, gearmotors and AC drives, through which we serve a very wide spectrum of applications and sectors in stationary and mobile machinery. The company was founded in 1956 and, after constant and mostly organic growth, has achieved a turnover of over US$1.1bn, with nearly 4,000 employees placed all over the globe in branches and manufacturing plants. This direct structure is further supported by a network of more than 500 distributors worldwide.

What does Mining mean to Bonfiglioli? Bonfiglioli has been active in the mining industry since the very beginning and thanks to various product developments and geographical expansions we have built a solid reputation in this sector over time. Bonfiglioli offers the largest range of planetary, parallel shaft helical and bevel helical drives to meet any customer need. Our product range and its proven reliability are merely the foundations for a valuable relationship with our customers, which starts with a deep study of the application, works out customized solutions and finally offers full product lifetime services to keep plant productivity as high as possible.

World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

What is Bonfiglioli’s product offering in mining applications? We are very well aware that mines are, by nature, very tough environments, usually located in the harshest regions of the world, with sometimes extreme temperatures. Think of the hot summers in South America, which can easily reach 45°C, or the cold Siberian winters at -30°C; add to that a dusty environment, the sandstorms of the Middle East or the salty air of plants close to the sea. All this, as well as the conditions under which the machine is used, must be taken into account at the design stage. This is why, in Bonfiglioli, we have developed a dedicated product series for the heavy duty and mining sector. More specifically, we develop solutions for the entire crushing process, such as crushers and apron feeders, or sedimentation, such as thickeners and flotation cells, filtering systems or material handling systems, such as conveyors, car dumpers or stacker reclaimers.

“We have Key Accounting Teams directly dealing with multinational mining OEMs. Our local teams of application and service engineers follow up, offering 24/7 service to them or directly to the mine site when required”

“Thanks to our worldwide network of branches, distributors and service companies, we are able to support our customers all around the word with our technical support”

What is Bonfiglioli’s approach to the customer? We work very closely with the OEM to design jointly the most suitable solution for our customer. Bonfiglioli pays particular attention to aftersales, granting the best possible support on service and spare parts, which helps the customer reduce machine downtime and increases profitability for the operating companies. Thanks to our worldwide network of branches, distributors and service companies, we are able to support our customers all around the word with our technical support. The ability to assemble locally allows us to give continuity to the end user’s maintenance activities by providing spare parts and service in a very short time. We really have a comprehensive approach to this sector: we have Key Accounting Teams directly dealing with multinational mining OEMs. Our local teams of application and service engineers can then follow up, offering 24/7 service to them or directly to the mine site when required.

“A complex system of seals, labyrinths and pressure sensors facilitates the pipe connection and prevents the entry of air into the gearbox, thus protecting all components affected by the flow under pressure from wear”

3H SERIES

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Are Bonfiglioli units also driving key processes like flotation? Correct. The flotation machine is one of the key aspects of the entire sedimentation system. Big tanks in series, containing mineral solution and reagents, separate the pure element from the mineral; a specifically designed long impeller stirs the mixture through a gearbox placed on top of the machine. The process must not be contaminated and this can be guaranteed by the gearbox Drywell solution. The last output bearing, which is reinforced to withstand the high radial and axial loads of the moving impeller, is closed and sealed within a greased chamber which protects it and in turn prevents oil leaks, thus making the gearbox drip-proof. A complex, compact piping system connected to the gearbox housing at strategic points ensures perfect lubrication of the bearings and gears, which are lubricated with oil free of impurities thanks to a double filter installed in the circuit and monitored by specific pressure and temperature sensors. All of this is managed by a mechanical pump driven by the gearbox itself, which ensures greater reliability than an electric solution. For better mixing, pressurised air is fed into the tank through the impeller shaft. A specifically designed connection allows the piping to be fixed at the top of the gearbox which, through a hollow shaft flanged to the impeller shaft, conveys the air to the base of the tank. A complex system of seals, labyrinths and pressure sensors facilitates the pipe connection and prevents the entry of air into the gearbox, thus protecting all components affected by the flow under pressure from wear. A fan, integrated in the motor flange, ensures cooling of the gearbox in all conditions. The entire product range can operate at an ambient temperature of 40°C up to an altitude of 4000m without the need for an external cooling system, making the solution simpler. This drastically reduces the risk of failure and the number maintenance hours. World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

“For several years, Bonfiglioli has developed IIOT solutions aimed at extending the life of gear units and reducing downtime to the very minimum required for normal maintenance”

What is the bond between Bonfiglioli and Barrick?

In which direction is the mining sector moving?

Barrick is certainly one of the most important end-user customers, although indirectly, that Bonfiglioli has in the mining sector. Every day, Bonfiglioli products, installed in the machines of our OEM partners, contribute to the success of their projects around the world. In particular, in the Pueblo Viejo project in the Dominican Republic, our 370 kW bevel-helical gear units HDO 160 - will soon be installed in 600 cubic metre flotation cells more than 10 metres deep, as well as several apron feeders to complete the package.

According to the World Economic Forum, 79% of mining companies are accelerating digitalization and the adoption of digital tools and processes. The main drivers for this are to extend the life of plant and machinery, and optimise productivity. For several years, Bonfiglioli has developed IIOT solutions aimed at extending the life of gear units and reducing downtime to the very minimum required for normal maintenance.

Our sensorized units produce many interesting and useful data which, also thanks to the Bonfiglioli algorithm, provide critical pieces of information for mining companies, such as optimised maintenance intervals, residual lifetime monitoring, and the health status of the gear units, along with more conventional data like oil levels, speed, temperature, etc… In brief, it means having full control of a critical component like the gear units and managing the risk of production losses and O&M costs as well as possible. Interview answered by:

Luca Tiozzo Key Account & Sector Manager Mining

Our products have played a major role in Barrick’s mining operations, not only in the Pueblo Viejo project. For example, the thickeners installed in Australia at the Barrick Cowal Gold mine feature our planetary gearboxes.

INTEGRATED COOLING FAN: “TUNNEL DRIVE”

AIR INTAKE

OPTIMIZED LUBRICATION SYSTEM TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE SENSORS

DRYWELL

OUTPUT FLANGE

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World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

REINFORCED OUTPUT BEARINGS

“Every day, Bonfiglioli products, installed in the machines of our OEM partners, contribute to the success of their projects around the world”

open autonomy

WHY MINING IS ON THE BRINK OF AN AUTONOMOUS REVOLUTION By Richard Jinks, Oxbotica VP Commercial

he perpetual challenge facing mine operators is how to move valuable raw materials in the most efficient way. Unequivocally, autonomy is a major part of that solution, and the form of that technology is changing. While other industries are looking at autonomy as a ‘nearfuture technology’, mining has already started to adopt it and reaped the benefits, helping to improve safety, boost production and increase operational efficiency in mines around the globe. Vehicles with various degrees of autonomy have been active since the early 2000s and current technology is helping to reduce the number of incidents in mines, with transportation accounting for around 30% of all safety issues[1]. While less than three percent of vehicles in mines around the world are autonomous, those that are in operation are reaching important industry milestones[2]. Autonomous operations typically increase the effective utilisation for a manned fleet from 60% to around 75%[3]. The autonomous trucks at Rio Tinto’s mines are estimated to have operated for 700 hours longer than conventional trucks during 2017, with a 15% reduction in load and haulage costs[4]. The mining industry is now on the cusp of another autonomy transformation with the next generation of technology beginning to be deployed. What makes this revolution different is that it’s driven by software. Software that

makes machines smart and supports a diversity of vehicles in a diversity of places. Oxbotica’s autonomy software platform can be installed onto any vehicle, in any setting, to make it drive autonomously. The software platform is able to span across all domains, so technology deployed in mines would benefit from the software’s learnings in other environments such as moving people or goods on-road or in off-road environments such as warehouses, ports, airports. We call this Universal Autonomy. To fully benefit from the long term productivity gains - forecasted to be up to 80%[5] - the industry will have to embrace a new way of thinking about autonomy and by doing so, harness the transformative power of software. An Open Autonomy software platform An Open Autonomy software platform enables companies to integrate autonomy strategically as a horizontal across their business, enabling all vehicles, irrespective of size or type, to have the same autonomy system. This

in turn means that a mine can be orchestrated in a way not currently available - utilising intelligent vehicles, with a single autonomy system free from the dependence of external infrastructure. Oxbotica and Wenco International Mining Systems are developing an Open Autonomy software platform for the mining industry, with the aim of providing customers with complete flexibility and efficiency, allowing them to deploy autonomy using any vehicle in their existing fleet. Our Open Autonomy strategy allows our partners to choose their preferred technologies independent of their vehicle or primary system decisions. In addition, we will have the capability to provide rapid technology advancements via software updates, without the need for vehicle renewal. The technology is capable of working in the most challenging weather conditions, underground or overground with zero dependence on external systems or reliance on GPS and/or third-party mapping. The modular architecture allows customers to use the full software stack or individual solutions, for example localisation or obstacle detection, with any combination of vision, radar and/or cameras. The open APIs mean we can be completely flexible when engaging with customers. This brings huge benefits to the industry and will be transformational. This is the true power of Universal Autonomy.

[1] https://www.icmm.com/en-gb/news/2019/safety-data-2018 [2] https://clareo.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Clareo-TWIN-Autonomy-Whitepaper-0619.pdf [3] https://www.rfcambrian.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/RFCA-NTI-Report-2-Autonomous-Mining-Equipment-May-2019.pdf [4] https://www.constructionweekonline.com/products-services/169830-autonomous-trucks-vehicles-and-machines-show-benefits-for-worlds-largest-miningcompanies [5] https://www.mes-insights.com/who-are-mining-vehicle-market-leaders-a-955269/

World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

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news

ABB to deliver trolley assist solution to Copper Mountain Mining in Canada

BB has won an order to deliver a complete open-pit haul truck trolley assist solution for Copper Mountain Mining in Canada. The installation includes engineering, supply and construction management for a DC substation and an overhead catenary system (OCS), combining ABB’s electrification and automation expertise in the mining industry. Copper Mountain mine, near Princeton, British Columbia, is a conventional open-pit, truck and shovel operation which produces approximately 100 million pounds (45,000 metric tons) of copper equivalent per year. The initial phase of the trolley assist system, which will be installed in late 2021, is expected to reduce carbon

emissions at the site by up to 7 per cent. Copper Mountain Mining intends to reduce carbon intensity by more than 50 per cent at the mine in 5-7 years through electrification and capacity increase. Each truck will be fitted with a

providing in excess of 12MW of DC power to the trolley assist system. The trolley control system can provide connectivity to the existing distributed control system (DCS) automation platform for seamless integration and monitoring of trolley operations and energy consumption. ABB is also providing OCS components customized for mining applications. “A trolley assist system significantly reduces GHG emissions for ultra-class mining haul trucks, which are typically the biggest source of emissions in a mining operation,” said Sachin Jari, industry lead – Mining, North America at ABB. ABB has previously installed a similar substation at Boliden AB’s Aitik mine, Sweden’s largest open-pit copper mine, and is part of ongoing expansion plans at the site.

“A trolley assist system significantly reduces GHG emissions for ultra-class mining haul trucks” pantograph to receive external electric power. ABB will be responsible for the off-truck trolley assist infrastructure and provide engineering, project management, equipment supply, system commissioning and construction management. ABB will also design the overhead catenary system (OCS) infrastructure and deliver a rectifier substation

World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

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Lithium South completes bulk brine sample in Argentina

Nickel Rock begins drilling its lithium clay

anadian-based exploration company Nickel Rock Resources has commenced reverse circulation drilling on its recently expanded claim block at Silver Peak, Clayton Valley, Esmeralda County, Nevada. This strategic land package directly adjoins a western portion of lithium producer Albemarle’s evaporation ponds and is nearby Cypress Development Corp’s Clayton Valley Lithium Clay Project. “The Clayton Valley area is booming again for lithium clay exploration,” said Robert Setter, president and CEO. “On the neighbouring property of Cypress Development, they have recently oversubscribed its bought deal offering for gross proceeds of C$19,550,000 ... This is fantastic news, and it complements news from our other neighbour Albemarle who

ithium South has completed a bulk brine sample at the Hombre Muerto North Lithium Project in Salta Province, Argentina, in order

announced earlier this year that it is planning to double its lithium production in Nevada at its Silver Peak mine by 2025 and is committing between US$30 million - US$50 million in additional investment on the property. “With our current exploration program in place, we will be able to lay the groundwork for a more significant exploration program budget and program in the future. We are excited about this opportunity in Nevada for our lithium clay project.”

are now in shipment. The HMN Li Project is situated on the Hombre Muerto Salar, the premier lithium-producing salar in Argentina. The property is adjacent to land under development by the Korean multinational corporation POSCO, which acquired the ground from Galaxy Resources for US $280 million. Lithium South completed a preliminary economic assessment of the HMN Li Project in 2019, using conventional evaporation extraction.

“The company is evaluating both conventional evaporation and DLE to determine the optimal process method for the project” to provide Chemphys Chengdu of China, and Lilac Solutions of Oakland, California with a large brine sample for direct lithium extraction test work. The well head on the Tramo Claim block was opened and run for 12 hours, and three 2,000-litre brine samples were obtained. The samples have been processed through Salta, Argentina, and

This involves the construction of large evaporation ponds to concentrate the lithium contained in the raw brine. It’s an expensive process with a large environmental footprint is large, and a production lead time of approximately 18 months, so the company is evaluating both conventional evaporation and DLE to determine the optimal process method for the project. World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

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Inomin closes La Gitana and Pena Blanca acquisitions

nomin Mines has announced the closing of the acquisition from Gunpoint Exploration of the La Gitana and Pena Blanca gold-silver properties in Oaxaca, Mexico, in exchange for 1,000,000 common shares of the company, $25,000 cash, and the grant of a 1.5% NSR payable to Gunpoint on the Pena Blanca property. La Gitana is subject to an existing 3% NSR to a third-party which will be assumed by Inomin. “La Gitana and Pena Blanca provide us with two highly prospective gold-silver properties in a prolific mineral belt,” said John Gomez, President & CEO of Inomin Mines. “We look forward to completing drilling to delineate resources at La Gitana and expand the mineral footprint. Pena Blanca is a large, gold-silver mineral system with several exploration targets. We expect these transformational acquisitions and our future exploration work will create significant value for all stakeholders.” Chesapeake Gold conducted exploration at La Gitana between

2004-2006, including surface mapping, sampling, IP-resistivity geophysics, as well as core drilling. Drilling of 38 holes defined a gold-silver mineralized zone measuring 500 metres long, 300 metres wide and 50 to 300 metres deep. A step-out drill-hole (DH-30) also discovered gold-silver mineralization

of La Gitana, is a large, bulk-tonnage, epithermal gold-silver prospect discovered in 2005 by Chesapeake during a regional-scale stream sediment sampling program. Pena Blanca covers nine square kilometres of hydrothermal alteration of which less than one square kilometre

“La Gitana and Pena Blanca provide us with two highly prospective gold-silver properties in a prolific mineral belt” approximately 300 metres south along strike. The 2004-2006 La Gitana exploration program is described in Chesapeake’s NI 43-101 technical report available on SEDAR. Inomin has completed an updated NI 43-101 technical report on La Gitana which will be published in the near future. Pena Blanca, 15 kilometres northwest

has been systematically mapped and sampled. Another zone, about a kilometre east-northeast of the Pena Blanca zone, returned rock ship assay results of up to 4.8 g/t gold. The style of the alteration and mineralization, together with the orientation and size of structures, suggests Pena Blanca hosts a widespread, epithermal gold-silver mineralized system. World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

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i-80 Gold commences large-scale drill program at Getchell

Rokmaster prepares surface drill program at Revel Ridge

i-80

Gold has started a largescale drill program, with more than 20,000 metres of surface and underground drilling planned, at the company’s recently acquired Getchell Project in Nevada. Getchell hosts both open pit and underground resources and is located proximal to Nevada Gold Mines’ Twin Creeks and Turquoise Ridge mines. The primary goal of the 2021 drill program is to advance the Pinson underground and open pit opportunities to production. Two underground drill rigs will be mobilized, once underground platforms are upgraded, focused

on delineating sufficient resources for near-term development. Initial surface drilling will test near-surface mineralization for metallurgical purposes and open pit definition. “Advancing the Getchell Property will be the company’s primary focus for 2021,” said Matt Gili, President and Chief Operating Officer of i-80, “with a substantial drill program planned to support mine studies and expand our mineral resources on the property. The goal for our team this year will be to complete a PEA on the property as quickly as possible, which will drive our decision making and planning for an upgraded economic study once this year’s drill program is completed.”

okmaster aims to expand on the success of its underground drill program with approximately 8,000m of surface drilling, once permits have been received for 56 drill pads. Drilling will be designed to develop additional near surface resources immediately on-strike to both the Main and Yellowjacket style mineralized zones. The exploration goal in the immediate Revel Ridge deposit area is to expand mineralized zones adjacent to

16,000m of underground drilling, with additional activities including site rehabilitation, re-establishing road access and general camp, office and site improvements. Generators and electrical systems have been refurbished for both surface and sub-surface activities and underground access has been re-established with electrical substations and ventilation installed and operating. Significant advances have been made

“During the past 10 months, Rokmaster Resources has completed over 16,000m of underground drilling” the existing inferred resource blocks. Rokmaster’s 2020/2021 underground drill program was completed on 29April 2021. An exceptional 85% of drill holes with completed assays intercepted above-threshold NSR gold equivalent grades. During the past 10 months, Rokmaster Resources has completed more than

during 2020-21 in understanding the metallurgical characteristics of the Revel Ridge Main Zone mineralization. Further understanding of comminution, heavy media separation, floatation, mineralogy and pressure oxidation methods have resulted in improvements and development of realistic process plant design. World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

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First Cobalt granted US Dept of Energy funding for Idaho Cobalt Project

irst Cobalt Corp has been awarded funding from the US Department of Energy’s Critical Materials Institute (CMI), an Energy Innovation Hub, for research on innovative mineral processing techniques for its Iron Creek copper-cobalt project in Idaho. This interdisciplinary, collaborative research effort will be conducted in conjunction with the Kroll Institute for Extractive Metallurgy (KIEM) at the Colorado School of Mines over a two-year period, with the objective of identifying more efficient and environmentally friendly methods to process cobalt ore from pyrite material. The funding from CMI will consist of US$600,000 over a two-year period, matched by the company, as part of a total US$1.2 million program. The work is another step in First Cobalt’s plan to become the world’s most sustainable producer of battery materials. “Our vision in Idaho is to build a modern underground mining operation and mineral processing facility centred on the Iron Creek cobalt-copper deposit,” said Trent Mell, First

Cobalt President & CEO. “We can take advantage of new and emerging technologies that reduce waste material coming out of the mine and reduce the amount of energy required to process the ore. “To have the support of the United States Government to further a national strategy of developing a domestic supply of cobalt further reinforces the First Cobalt value proposition as North America’s only integrated supplier of battery materials for the electric vehicle industry.” Cobalt is one of 35 elements identified by the United States Department of the Interior as a ‘critical mineral’. These minerals are considered essential to the economic and national security of the US, but have supply chains vulnerable to disruption. The United States imports 100% of the cobalt used in manufacturing electric vehicles, for instance. President Joe Biden recently announced a 100-day review of the critical mineral supply chains to determine how the United States Government can reduce this vulnerability. World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

news

GS Mining completes purchase OF BLACK EAGLE Mill in Colorado

First Energy Metals starts drilling at Augustus Lithium Project in Quebec First Energy Metals has commenced its 2021 drill program at its Augustus Lithium Property in Quebec, Canada. Forage Hebert Inc. Drilling of Amos, Quebec, has been contracted for a 5,000 metre NQ size core drill program which can be increased at the company’s request. A B-20 drill rig has been deployed for this work which has a capacity to drill up to 1,000-metre-deep hole. The drill program is based on a

Mining Company has purchased the Black Eagle Mill, a gold mill on Colorado Highway 103 in Idaho Springs, a twenty-minute ride from the Bates Hunter Mine which the

surface trenching and sampling program which is currently underway. The field sampling work confirmed historically reported spodumene bearing lithium pegmatites on the Augustus and Canadian Lithium prospects on the property. Several historical drill hole collars were also identified, which will help in location and orientation of drill holes for the upcoming program, which, if successful, will enable the completion of a maiden NI 43101 lithium resource estimate on the property.

The company views the purchase of the BEM as an important element in the execution of its business plan. With the addition of the Becker Bates and Gregory Bates to the Bates

“The value of the equipment alone exceeds the purchase price” company is rehabilitating and readying for gold production. The mill was built in 1934 and operated until 1979. Most of its equipment is intact and is included in the sale. The company believes that this was an excellent acquisition as the value of the equipment alone exceeds the purchase price. When current renovations are complete, the Golden Gilpin Mill should be able to process up to seventy tons of mineralized rock per day. The Black Eagle Mill, if put into service, may be able to add over one hundred tons of milling capacity per day.

Hunter, Clay, and Carr mines, the company anticipates it will have enough gold-bearing rock to fully occupy its two mills for decades to come and to drive substantial growth and profit. GS Mining Company conducts its mining business through various wholly-owned subsidiaries in the Colorado towns of Central City and Black Hawk. It owns, has long-term leases and options on various mining properties, including the Golden Gilpin Mill, Bates Hunter Mine, Becker Bates Mine, Clay County Mine, Carr Mine and Gregory Bates Claims. World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

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Fortescue celebrates 1.5 billion tonnes of iron ore shipped from Pilbara

ess than three years after Fortescue Metals celebrated shipping its billionth tonne of iron ore from Herb Elliott Port in Port Hedland, the company has reached the milestone of 1.5 billion tonnes. The achievement coincided with a visit by Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison to Fortescue’s Christmas Creek operations, hosted by Fortescue Founder and Chairman Dr Andrew Forrest.

“Fortescue’s journey has been to unlock the potential of the Pilbara and build Australia’s economy”

“From the start, Fortescue’s journey has been to unlock the potential of the Pilbara and build Australia’s economy through the export of iron ore to the developing world,” said Forrest. Fortescue’s first shipment of iron ore departed Port Hedland in 2008 for Shanghai Baosteel’s Majishan Port. Since the first shipment, over 46,680 trains have been unloaded at Port Hedland and more than 8,000 ships have left Fortescue’s Herb Elliott Port.

Epiroc to acquire mining electrification provider

wedish mining equipment provider, Epiroc, has agreed to acquire Meglab, a Canadian company with expertise in electrification infrastructure for mines, to support customers in their transition to battery-electric vehicles. Meglab, based in Val-D’Or, Quebec, is a technology integrator that

designs, manufactures, installs and supports practical and cost-effective electrification and telecommunications infrastructure solutions to customers in several countries. Its products and solutions include system design, substations, switchgears and automation system solutions, enabling the infrastructure needed for mine

electrification and equipment charging, as well as for digitalization and automation of operations. The acquisition is expected to be completed in Q2 2021. The purchase price has not been disclosed. The business will become part of Epiroc’s Parts & Services Division and will continue to be based in Canada.

World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

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Weir Minerals expands partnership with Hayward Gordon in Latin America American customers with complete mining packages to fit their needs.” Weir has been supplying the mining industry in Latin America for nearly 90 years. “Hayward Gordon as a strategic partner will allow us to become the preferred supplier of the mining industry,” said Martin Brenner,

partnership which started over 25 years ago in Chile between mining equipment and service provider Weir Minerals, and flow control specialist Hayward Gordon ULC, has been expanded to cover all areas of Latin America. “With this extended partnership we are delighted that we will be able to share our experiences with more customers to instil confidence in Hayward Gordon mixers,” said John Pascual, VP of Global Projects and Mixers at Hayward Gordon. “This agreement allows for Weir Minerals to provide all Latin

“Having Hayward Gordon as a strategic partner will allow us to become the preferred supplier of the mining industry” managing director of Vulco SA and regional managing director LATAM, Weir Minerals. Founded over 60 years ago, the

Monarch intersects high-grade gold on Beaufor property

onarch Mining Corporation has identified multiple highgrade gold intersections from underground and surface exploration drilling on its wholly-owned Beaufor Mine gold project, 20 kilometres east of Val-d’Or, Québec.

The results include several high-grade assays, including 187.0 g/t Au over 0.5m, 151.5 g/t Au over 0.5m and 147.5 g/t Au over 0.3m, as Monarch continues to test for potential resources in proximity to the historical mine. Opened in the early 1930s, the Beaufor Mine has produced over 1.1 million ounces of gold. The mine is currently on care and maintenance, so Monarch has taken the opportunity to drill-test targets throughout the mine area. In June 2020, the Corporation initiated a 42,500-metre diamond drilling program to test two types of targets: the areas around historical highgrade intersections near the existing underground infrastructure, and isolated

Hayward Gordon Group supplies three brands for pumping and mixing operations: Hayward Gordon, Sharpe Mixers and Scott Turbon Mixer. “We’re excited about partnering with Weir Minerals and leveraging their extensive sales and service network,” said Jon Weiner, CEO at Hayward Gordon Group. “Partnering to cover all of LATAM is an important first step, and we are moving quickly to expand this relationship into other areas of the world where Weir Minerals excels at supporting mining and exploration operations.”

resource blocks, which are typically defined by a single drill intersection. Both of these ‘near-mine’ targets can often be tested from the existing underground workings, generally by holes less than 200 metres long. Currently, 275 holes are planned or are already being drilled at 25-metre centres. If positive results are received, additional holes will be drilled to allow the zones in question to be converted into reserves and included in a future mine plan. “We are thrilled with the results received to date,” said Jean-Marc Lacoste, President and CEO of Monarch. “Our near-mine exploration drilling program continues to yield high-grade results as we intersect new mineralized zones and extensions of known zones outside the previously defined resource envelope. Monarch’s goal is to significantly increase the near-mine resource so that a minimal amount of new development and capital will be required to put the mine back into production in the short term.” World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

NEW MONITORING SYSTEM PROVIDES REMOTE ACCESS TO BACKSTOP OPERATING CONDITIONS Marland Clutch recently introduced the Smart Marland Monitoring System that provides up-to-the-minute access to critical backstop operating conditions including vibration, temperature and oil level. The IoT solution allows users to remotely monitor the condition of their equipment from anywhere using a computer or cell phone. The system can monitor up to 6 backstops from a single gateway. Users can perform statistical analysis to identify maintenance and repair needs, set desired report intervals and receive alarm notifications. System reporting capabilities include current measurements, historic trending and vibration analysis.

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Loulo-Gounkoto’s third underground mine to start production

arrick Gold’s Loulo-Gounkoto complex’s third underground mine has reached its first mining level and is scheduled to start delivering ore to the plant during the current quarter. At the same time, a prefeasibility study has started on two more mines on the Loulo permit: an underground operation at Loulo 3 and a large open pit at Yalea South. These, said president and CEO Mark Bristow, would add mining sources and improve feed flexibility, providing further support for the complex’s robust 10-year plan. Exploration programs designed to replace depleted reserves are also continuing to deliver good results.

Covid-19 testing and care capacities have been upgraded through the acquisition of new equipment and the complex has been largely unaffected by the third wave of the pandemic. “Loulo-Gounkoto remains a pillar of the Malian economy as well as a driver of local economic development,” said Bristow. “Over the past 24 years, Barrick and its legacy company Randgold Resources have contributed $7.7 billion to the economy, of which $3 billion went to the state in the form of dividends, taxes and royalties. Our long partnership with the country and its people is a testament to how mutually beneficial a relationship of this kind can be.”

“LouloGounkoto remains a pillar of the Malian economy as well as a driver of local economic development”

Epiroc wins large mining equipment order in Australia

io Tinto has placed a major order with Epiroc for mining equipment to be used in its iron ore mines in the Pilbara region of Australia. The order includes several Pit Viper 271 and SmartROC D65 drill rigs worth over A$20 million. “Rio Tinto is a long-standing

customer of Epiroc that is highly focused on innovation and sustainability,” said Helena Hedblom, Epiroc’s President and CEO. “Epiroc is proud to be able to support the company on its continuous journey toward higher productivity and optimal safety.” Epiroc refers to the Pit Viper 271 as

the most productive drill available for rotary tricone and down the hole drilling of 171mm to 270mm holes. Loaded with smart features such as automated drilling and rod handling, the new SmartROC D65 delivers high-quality blast holes with accuracy and precision. World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

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Drilling at McIlvenna Bay produces stellar results for Foran Mining

Sandvik to acquire screens and feeders manufacturer Kwatani

andvik is to acquire the South African based company Kwatani, a supplier of screens, feeders, fine separators, drives and services for the mining industry. The company will be reported in Stationary Crushing and Screening, a division in Sandvik Rock Processing Solutions. “I am pleased that we are continuing to execute on our strategy to grow through acquisitions and at the same time strengthening our position in rock processing,” said Stefan Widing, President and CEO of Sandvik. “I look forward to welcome Kwatani to our Group.” The acquisition is the first since the Sandvik Rock Processing Solutions business area was established at the beginning of 2021, and will expand Sandvik’s equipment range and complement the existing aftermarket product and services portfolio. Kwatani is headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, and has about 150 employees. The transaction is expected to close during the fourth quarter 2021 and is subject to relevant regulatory approvals.

30,000m winter drill program at Foran Mining’s 100% owned McIlvenna Bay deposit in eastern Saskatchewan continues to deliver stellar results, the company says. The latest five holes, which are comprised of infill drilling and the first step out hole results, support the potential to increase the projected mine life of the deposit. An

mining jurisdictions and will represent the world’s first carbon-neutral copper mine from day one of production,” said Dan Myerson, Executive Chairman of Foran. “Our short-term goals remain showcasing the ability to scale McIlvenna Bay along with our other deposits, and their associated potential production profiles. We are

“We are progressing towards delivering our feasibility study later this year, and bringing this multi-generational camp into production” additional drill rig, bringing the total to four, has been brought to the site to expedite the drill program. The winter drill program has been underway since mid-January and has focused on increasing Foran’s knowledge of the deeper parts of the deposit to convert current inferred resources to the indicated category. Numerous holes from the program have returned highgrade results over substantial widths, which bodes well for the upcoming feasibility results. “McIlvenna Bay is located in one of the world’s truly safe and premier

also progressing towards delivering our feasibility study later this year, and bringing this multi-generational camp into production. McIlvenna Bay is a copper-zinc-goldsilver rich VMS deposit intended to be the centre of a new mining camp in a prolific district that has already been producing for 100 years. McIlvenna Bay sits just 65km from Flin Flon, Manitoba and is part of the world class Flin Flon Greenstone Belt that extends over 225km from Snow Lake, Manitoba, through Flin Flon to Foran’s ground in eastern Saskatchewan. World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

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United Mining Rentals (UMR) was born out of a specific niche in the market for both short and longer term rentals for both new and used, Sandvik & Getman equipment for both underground & surface mining and also tunnelling applications. Coupled with +35 years of experience in the mining business, UMR provides both sales and rental of new & used mobile equipment for various mining & tunnelling operations across the world. In addition, our sister company, QME Mining Services Division (which operates as an International mining and tunnelling contractor), also operates a large fleet of predominately Sandvik equipment.

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MINPRO

MINPRO International have subsidiary offices in 4 countries all of which have the same business, supplying mineral processing equipment and engineering for the mineral processing industry worldwide. Our main products are AKER Flotation Machines; Hydraulic Roller Mills, Semi Mobile Modular Concentrators, Hydro Cyclone Batteries as well as Polyurethane wear parts for the mineral processing industry. We deliver complete new mineral processing installations, renovation and upgrade existing mineral processing plants, retrofitting the AKER flotation mechanisms in existing flotation machines as well as engineering services and consultancy

Tel: +48 515 368 833 Minpro International Sp. z o.o. www.minpro.com

mining technology

Adrok is a cutting edge service technology company headquartered in Edinburgh, Scotland, with exclusive global patents to Atomic Dielectric Resonance (ADR) imaging technology. This innovative technology has been developed for use in Oil and Gas, Mining and Civil Engineering sectors. Adrok’s technology has been used in several projects around the world to explore the sub-surface geology and locate accurately and identify precisely the fluids present at great depths providing high resolution without drilling the underground. This subsurface imaging scanner generates ‘virtual borehole’ logs of subsurface geology from the surface. It is lightweight, field rugged and portable, to enable cost-effective mobilisation.

49-1 West Bowling Green Street Edinburgh, EH6 5NX (Scotland, UK) Tel: +44(0) 131 555 6662 Email: info@adrokgroup.com Website: http://adrokgroup.com/

World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

world mining directory process water treatment

software

Formed in 1997, Canary Systems provides integrated geo-monitoring solutions for a broad range of mining applications, including open pit, tailings, SW-EX, and underground. We help clients better manage risk, monitor performance, and increase the safety of their operations by tying together the loose ends: the hardware required for automatic or semi-automatic data acquisition – and the software to collect, store, and analyze data in a simple and efficient way on a single combined powerful platform. We provide turnkey solutions – including system architecture, hardware and software development, telemetry, and instrumentation – as well as individual components customized to and augmenting existing project needs.

Canary Systems, Inc. Mining Group 4732 Oracle Road, Suite 112 Tucson, AZ 85705 USA Tel: 520.887.9800 info@canarysystems.com www.canarysystems.com

Salter Cyclones specialises in fine solids removal with its own Hydrocyclones and Multi-Gravity Separators. These achieve powerful and precise separations in practical, compact, reliable, operator friendly and economic systems.

sump

Salter Cyclones Limited Tel: + 44 1242 697771 Fax: + 44 1242 690895 Email: sales@saltercyclones.com Web: www.saltercyclones.com

scales & weighing equipment

IVAC Industrial Vacuum Systems Ltd., manufactures a powerful pneumatic powered vacuum/ delivery system that allows you to pick-up and deliver your most difficult materials. The materials can be wet or dry including gravel, sand, slimes, sludge’s and water. The powerful, virtually maintenance free vacuum system is able to deliver the materials short or long distances, even up too kilometres through a pipeline or hose. Its is ideal for sump & ditch clean-up, tanks, under conveyors, around crushers and mills anywhere shovels, vacuum trucks or water hoses are being used for your clean-ups today!

Contact: Brad Fryburger Brad.Fryburger@rinstrum.com +1 248 680 0320 Website: www.rinstrum.com

World Mining Magazine www.ogsmag.com

IVAC Industrial Vacuum Systems Ltd. 35-111 Chartrand Avenue, Logan Lake, BC V0K 1W0 Canada Phone 604-628-3367 Email zereko@zereko.com http://industrialvacuumunit.com

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World Mining Magazine

Articles inside

Weir Minerals expands partnership with

Fortescue celebrates 1.5 billion tonnes of iron ore shipped from Pilbara • Epiroc to acquire electrification provider

GS Mining completes purchase of Black Eagle Mill in Colorado • First Energy Metals starts drilling at Augustus Lithium Project in Quebec

First Cobalt granted US Dept of Energy funding for Idaho Cobalt Project

Rokmaster prepares surface drill program at Revel Ridge • i-80 Gold commences large-scale drill program at Getchell

Inomin acquires La Gitana and Pena Blanca

Bonfiglioli: Engineering dreams

Open Autonomy: Why mining is on the brink of an autonomous revolution

Barrick Gold: Delivery and development

BHP: Performance & development

Newmont Corporation: First among equals

ABB to deliver trolley assist solution to Copper Mountain Mining in Canada

Lithium South completes bulk brine sample • Nickel Rock begins drilling its lithium clay

Cummins: Balance of power